The Workers Lab

05/04/2026

Microsoft just released a list of 40 jobs most at risk from AI. Translators, writers, customer service reps, teachers,even jobs that need college degrees are high on the list. Getting a degree doesn't protect you anymore. We need worker-centered innovation that protects workers from the imapcts of AI.

https://bit.ly/4dji17l

Sorry, Gen Z: AI is expected to soon reshape dozens of popular professions—and possibly make some tasks obsolete.

04/30/2026

Migrant farmworkers in Colorado just got a pay cut. A new federal rule lets employers pay them $2-$3 less per hour if they provide housing.Farmworkers wages dropped from $17.84 to $15.16. Some workers didn't even know until they showed up to sign their contracts. Workers shouldn't lose pay for having a place to sleep.

https://bit.ly/42CHrYl

Some Western Slope growers are taking advantage of the “downward compensation adjustment.” Others say they’ll be profitable without it.

04/29/2026

43% of Gen Z are starting their own businesses because entry-level jobs are disappearing. AI is taking over junior roles while companies freeze hiring and pour billions into tech instead of people. Young workers are piecing together side hustles and gig work because stable jobs don't exist anymore.

https://bit.ly/4uj5GXA

As AI erases the bottom rungs of the corporate ladder, some gen Z workers skip the entry level to become their own CEOs

04/27/2026

Every work zone is someone’s job site.

This National Work Zone Awareness Week, we’re raising awareness for the workers who can’t afford for drivers to be distracted.

04/24/2026

60% of CA farmworkers are undocumented, earning a median of $16,000/year. Now, some employers are using deportation threats to silence workers who report wage theft or unsafe conditions. No one should have to choose between speaking up and their livelihood. https://lat.ms/4sLrLN1

Farmworkers described instances in which bosses threatened to call ICE on them, sometimes because they complained about workplace violations.

04/23/2026

Gig nursing apps use AI algorithms to pay different nurses different wages for the same shift at the same hospital.Workers are left with no transparency, no recourse, and no power over how their pay is determined. Healthcare workers deserve fair compensation and dignity. https://bit.ly/4cF9n2i

Growing use of AI tech comes at expense of workers’ rights, protections and pay, report warns

04/23/2026

Our Innovation Fund Fellow, Rekha Grennan, Founder & CEO of Workizen, has submitted a co-sponsored session proposal with The Workers Lab for :

“The Workers Power Dividend: Labor, Capital & the Missing Infrastructure.”

Want to see bold ideas on labor and capital take the stage?

Visit the link to vote and help shape the SOCAP26 agenda.

Voting ends April 26.

https://bit.ly/4tyBU14

04/22/2026

Heat-related worker fatalities jumped 117% from 1999 to 2023, rising from 1,069 to 2,325 deaths. The workers most at risk are in construction and agriculture, and cutbacks to OSHA enforcement are making an already dangerous situation worse. Every worker deserves to come home safe. https://bit.ly/4mNrFmS

The planet is getting warmer, and companies would do well to do a better job of protecting their workers from extreme heat.

04/20/2026

58% of workers say they'd give up a 10% raise to work somewhere that genuinely cares about their well-being. Workers want more than a paycheck. They want stability, growth, and a workplace that respects them. https://bit.ly/3Qe2pdh

This week’s Careers newsletter features advice on how to design your workday like a CEO, Forbes’ New Ivies list for 2026, what workers want more than a pay raise & more.

04/17/2026

Workers aren’t only asking for higher pay— they’re asking for better work environments.

A survey found that many would trade a raise for workplaces that support their well-being, respect their time, and allow them to grow.

Workers deserve dignity, belonging, and workplaces that are built around their well-being.

04/17/2026

Since January 2025, more than 355,000 federal workers have lost their jobs. Many are still searching. The cuts haven't just displaced workers. They've weakened the public services that communities depend on. Every worker deserves stability to support their families.
https://bit.ly/4cuicvS

Current and former government employees say they’re facing a tough job market over a year on from sweeping cuts