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Apr 28, 2026
Has Work Grown More Transactional? It’s Complicated.
renegotiating work
What is commonly referred to as “loyalty” between employers and employees has eroded for decades according to many metrics. Does the weakening of implied contracts mean that work is more transactional than it used to be?
Recent Kenan Institute research based on interviews across the state highlights the successes and remaining barriers that North Carolina community colleges face in recruiting and retaining students as the labor market continues to evolve.
The literature on cross-sector collaboration and cross-sector partnership has grown within disciplinary silos, but new literature reflects a growing recognition that siloed efforts no longer match the scale of workforce challenges such as the skills gap.
Jun 24, 2025
Skilled Tech Workers Help Drive Local Productivity
As businesses increasingly rely on technology, cities with a strong tech workforce gain a competitive edge, experiencing greater economic growth. This shift can be seen in both urban centers and rural areas.
Jan 30, 2025
Grand Challenge 2025: The Skills Gap
Our 2025 Grand Challenge examines the skills gap — the difference between the skills that employers seek and those that workers possess — which is being driven by technological breakthroughs, demographic changes and cultural shifts in the workplace.
As deep learning and big data increasingly shape modern artificial intelligence (AI) tools, it is essential to consider the broader impact of integrating AI into workplaces. While AI applications can optimize processes and improve productivity, their long-term effects on workers’ learning curves and overall performance are still underexplored. This paper investigates the intricate relationship between AI-enabled technology and workers’ learning dynamics through a large-scale randomized field experiment conducted on the Instacart platform.
Aug 29, 2024
Shaping North Carolina’s Future with Jim Johnson
Johnson, director of the Urban Investment Strategies Center, discusses how his research sheds light on key issues that will help determine the state's economic future.
Join us for the Employability Skills Gap webinar on Oct. 18 at 10 a.m. Dive into the final session of ncIMPACT Initiative's 'Where are the Workers?' series for insights and discussion on workforce needs.
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Thomas Stith, North Carolina Community College System President Jeff Cox and Capgemini’s Jennifer Paylor discuss workforce skills and the economy.
Academics and business leaders shared a panel at our recent Frontiers conference, showing how each can offer insights to help one another develop a broader, shared understanding of changes in the labor market.
Dec 16, 2022
A Conversation with Claudia Romo Edelman
We Are All Human founder Claudia Romo Edelman talks with the Kenan Institute about why diversity matters for both employers and employees, and how Hispanic workers in particular are navigating their relationship to the workforce after the pandemic.
Q&A with Annelies Goger: Reframing the Skills Gap
Kenan Institute Distinguished Fellow Annelies Goger asks how we’ll change educational institutions to prepare for the shift AI will bring in what people do and what they need to know. “It will require all hands on deck,” she says.