Dignity of Work Institute

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Dignity of Work Institute Launched by Sherrod Brown and dedicated to the people who make this country work. Creating an economy where all work is valued.

10/14/2026

We couldn't agree more. 60% of workers we surveyed have worked more than one job. Working hard should mean getting ahead – not barely getting by.



Alt text:
Graphic featuring a TikTok from Vincent Powell of a man sitting with his head resting on his hand. On-screen text reads: “Hot take but Americans shouldn't be taking on multiple jobs just to avoid poverty. Working multiple jobs should be for getting ahead not getting by.” Below, text reads: “Americans are stacking jobs just to stay out of poverty. Multiple jobs should be for getting ahead — not getting by.”

10/14/2026

So many Americans need to work multiple jobs to afford to live.

Here’s a look at a day in the life of a school janitor balancing two jobs. Thank you to this creator, Fatimah, for sharing an honest look at this experience.



Alt Text:
Day-in-the-life video following a woman through an evening shift at her second job as a school janitor. She cleans classrooms and other areas of the school while sharing what it’s like to balance two jobs to pay rent and bills and work toward her goals. She describes feeling tired, hungry, and stretched thin, while encouraging other young women working hard to support themselves.

10/07/2026

“Back-to-school” headlines may be over, but for parents the costs don’t end. When we looked at what parents were saying online about back-to-school costs, school lunch was the biggest topic. Parents described stretching grocery budgets, making tough trade-offs, and even skipping meals so their kids could eat.

And the price of that food is more expensive than ever – up nearly 8% compared to last year, according to Groundwork Collaborative, which can mean spending $100+ more, every single week.

Read more about what parents are saying about the cost of raising a family in the latest Water Cooler on Substack at the link in bio.

10/02/2026

Workers are working hard. They’re more productive than ever. So… where’s the payoff?

For decades, productivity has kept climbing while worker pay hasn’t kept pace. People are putting in the work but too many aren’t seeing those gains reflected in their paychecks or financial security.

Hard work should actually pay off.

Read more in our Substack: https://dignityofwork.substack.com/



Alt Text:
Graphic featuring a TikTok from of a woman speaking to camera. On-screen text reads: “Billionaire wealth increased by trillions in the last decade. Worker wages barely moved. Growth for who????” Below, Dignity of Work Institute text reads: “The economy grew. Paychecks didn’t. Billionaires got trillions richer. Workers’ paychecks stayed about the same. So who’s this growth for?”

Why do people choose gig work? When we looked at more than 39,000 online posts about gig work, workers kept coming back ...
09/30/2026

Why do people choose gig work? When we looked at more than 39,000 online posts about gig work, workers kept coming back to two things: control, and the lack of good alternatives. Control over when they work, how they work, and how they earn money. And for many, the other jobs available to them don’t feel much better.

Our latest Water Cooler looks at gig work in workers’ own words. Read more: https://dignityofwork.substack.com/p/gig-workers-in-their-own-words-i



Alt text: Graphic from the Dignity of Work Institute promoting its latest Water Cooler on gig work. Large text reads: “Gig Workers in Their Own Words: ‘I have to survive.’” Below, the subtitle reads: “Why gig work? Agency and awful alternatives.” The Dignity of Work Institute logo and dignityofwork.substack.com appear on the graphic.

09/28/2026

And guess where the money goes? Hint: it’s not to workers. 👀

Read more in our Substack: https://dignityofwork.substack.com/



Alt Text:
Alt text: Beaker from The Muppets looks wide-eyed and overwhelmed in an office cubicle. On-screen text reads, “POV: You realize workers are more productive than ever, but paychecks haven’t kept up with productivity.”

09/25/2026

Working hard is supposed to help you get ahead. So why is it that working MULTIPLE jobs isn’t enough for so many workers?

We listen to what workers are saying about their experiences. Read more on our Substack at the link in bio.



Dignity of Work Institute meme about working multiple jobs and struggling to get ahead. A tired worker has their head down on a desk while a baby doll’s face is superimposed over the scene, its eye fluttering in an exhausted and exasperated reaction. On-screen text reads: “When you’re working more than one job and somehow still not ‘getting ahead.

AI, remote work, and job security are some of the biggest questions shaping work right now. At Blizzard Entertainment, w...
09/24/2026

AI, remote work, and job security are some of the biggest questions shaping work right now. At Blizzard Entertainment, workers themselves helped negotiate how they’ll be handled.

Nearly 1,900 workers just ratified contracts that include protections around layoffs, remote and hybrid work, AI use, severance, and more.



Alt text:
Dignity of Work Institute graphic about Blizzard Entertainment workers ratifying the video game industry’s first union contracts with the Communications Workers of America (CWA). Nearly 1,900 Blizzard workers secured workplace protections covering artificial intelligence and AI use, layoffs and recall rights, remote and hybrid work, job security, and four additional weeks of severance. The graphic features the September 9, 2026 CWA announcement, “Blizzard Entertainment Workers Ratify Historic Video Game Contracts with CWA.

There are two conversations happening about the economy.The headlines say: job growth, wage growth, productivity gains, ...
09/17/2026

There are two conversations happening about the economy.

The headlines say: job growth, wage growth, productivity gains, a “moderating” market.

Workers are asking: Can I find a job that pays enough? Can my family afford what we need? Is my job stable? Do I actually have options?

Both deserve our attention. Because understanding the economy means understanding how it actually feels to live and work in it.



Alt text:
Dignity of Work Institute graphic titled “The headlines and the workers aren’t describing the same economy.” The graphic compares positive economic headlines about job growth, wage growth, productivity, unemployment, and the labor market with questions workers are asking about their everyday economic experiences. Worker questions include: “Can I find a job that pays enough?”, “Why does everything still feel more expensive?”, “What does AI mean for my job?”, “Is my job stable?”, “Can my family afford what we need?”, and “Do I feel like I can get ahead?” The graphic highlights the difference between economic indicators and workers’ experiences with wages, job security, the cost of living, and the job market.

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