Institute for Work & the Economy
A policy and research collaborative in workforce and economic development

About the Institute …

The Institute for Work and the Economy is an independent, not-for-profit public policy research collaborative under the direction of a national board of directors. The mission of the Institute is to recognize and address emerging issues in workforce and economic development policy and to develop novel solutions and strategies for resolving structural problems facing local and regional economies.

The Institute is staffed full-time by its President and Executive Director and involves a network of fellows from workforce and economic development. Our design is to work in multi-institutional collaborations on all projects. Consequently, we maintain only a core staff to cover business operations.

The Institute was incorporated in the State of Illinois in August 2000. Although institutionally separate, it first was housed in the Center for Governmental Studies at Northern Illinois University. The Institute became a standalone operation in 2007.

The Institute is tax-exempt pursuant to section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code.