Impact & Research

For interviews, information requests, or any other media inquiry, contact our press team press@empowerwork.org

Empower Work Impact

2025 Impact Report

Corporate restructuring, artificial intelligence, and uncertainty at the federal level — the reality felt by small businesses and low-income workers was a stagnant job market and the worst non-recession year for jobs since 2003. Long-term unemployment rose sharply in 2025, reaching 25.7% of all unemployed workers and unemployment remained elevated at 4.3%, similar to levels during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Full Report

2024 Impact Report

We saw an immense surge in text line conversations about job loss and prolonged job searches — more than doubling from 22% in 2023 to 54%. Four out of five workers — over 78% — are actively looking for work because they are dissatisfied, underemployed, or unemployed and that job searches are taking nearly half a year.

Full Report

2023 Impact Report

While headlines and research tend to focus on mid-to-large sized companies with “white collar” workforces, nearly half of U.S. workers are employed at companies with fewer than 500 people and nearly 80% of workers earn less than $75,000/year. The daily challenges they’re experiencing — from safety concerns to disrespect to lack of job mobility — feel unheard and unseen.

Full Report

Programs

The Hidden Realities of Job Searching in 2024

Larger economic data for most of this year points to strong labor participation and low unemployment, with signs over July and August of a softening of the job market.

Yet, there is a story going untold: the majority of workers do not feel like the job market is good - and it’s taking a toll emotionally and economically. Nearly four out of five workers want jobs and can’t find them.

Full Report

The State of Vulnerable Workers 2022: Unsafe and Disrespected

Since mid-2020, workplaces across the United States have experienced a “great disruption.” Yet, the data and headlines paint an incomplete picture. We know 47.8 million workers quit their jobs in 2021, an average of 4 million, or 3% of the workforce, per month. We also know that the overall labor force participation rate has been dropping for a decade. Increasing numbers of people eligible to work are not working.

Full Report

Founder Information

Jaime-Alexis Fowler

Founder & CEO

Jaime-Alexis Fowler is transforming the way we build workplaces so that people thrive. She is the founder and CEO of Empower Work, a national nonprofit on a mission to build healthy, equitable workplaces. Empower Work provides critical resources for vulnerable workers including a first-of-its-kind text line, builds skills through training, and transforms practices through data and storytelling.

Linkedin Profile »

Headshot

Full Bio