National Employment Law Project

08/06/2026

AI should improve work, not make jobs more unstable or leave workers without support.
NELP President and CEO Rebecca Dixon spoke with The Washington Post about how policymakers should respond to AI’s impact on work.
As AI reshapes jobs and economic stability, workers need a stronger safety net now.

05/06/2026

Today’s jobs report shows that the unemployment rate for young Black workers ages 16 –19 rose dramatically to 23.9% from 14.8% in May of 2025. That's the kind of surge in unemployment we only see during recessions. It's time for a Jobseekers' Allowance! https://www.nelp.org/recession-level-unemployment-for-young-workers-is-a-warning-sign-for-the-economy/

26/05/2026

Young college grads looking for jobs have a 5.5 percent unemployment rate in the last 12
months. That’s higher than any period outside of peak COVID going back to the Great
Recession. We need a Jobseekers’ Allowance. https://www.nelp.org/why-todays-graduates-need-a-jobseekers-allowance/

21/05/2026

Finding a decent-paying job right out of school is never easy. But right now, even young college grads looking for work are facing recession-level rates of unemployment. That’s why NELP says it’s time for a Jobseekers’ Allowance. https://www.nelp.org/why-todays-graduates-need-a-jobseekers-allowance/

05/05/2026

NELP's Paul Sonn applauds today's action by NJ Gov Mikie Sherrill and NJDOL for taking action to protect NJ workers from being stripped of their fundamental rights, including minimum wage and paid sick leave. https://www.nelp.org/nelp-applauds-nj-gov-and-njdol-for-acting-to-protect-workers-rights/

21/04/2026

Important and timely blog post by NELP's Laura Padin, describing how the fast-growing last-mile delivery system in its current form is dangerous, that the delivery companies must be held accountable, and supporting new legislation to protect delivery workers in New York City. https://www.nelp.org/promoting-good-safe-last-mile-delivery-jobs-in-new-york-city/

02/04/2026

As employers replace more workers with AI to increase their already high profits, Black workers will pay a high price. It's critical to put in guardrails to retain, retrain, and upskill workers, while improving unemployment insurance for those who are displaced.

When Amazon cuts 30,000 jobs and Black workers hold nearly 20% of the roles being eliminated while making up just 13% of the workforce, that is not a coincidence. That

19/02/2026

With the ongoing and worsening cost-of-living crisis, NELP experts are centering the importance of affordability and raising the as a policy goal at both the state and national levels.

Our report foregrounds the policy wins have fought for as foundational to a where all workers are fairly compensated and valued for their labor. Read about it at http://bit.ly/Raises2026.

18/02/2026

The Southern Tenant Farmers' Union (S**U) was a game-changer in the fight for and activism.

Founded in 1934, this multiracial organization united poor Black and white sharecroppers and tenant farmers in the South to demand better working conditions, fair wages, and the right to organize. ✊🏾🌾

Their bold efforts laid the groundwork for future labor movements and helped spark the broader struggle for racial equality in America. Their legacy reminds us that solidarity and collective action can break down barriers and create lasting change.