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About University of Phoenix Career Institute®

University of Phoenix Career Institute® was created to address broad, persistent and systemic barriers to career advancement through research-based solutions and impactful partnerships that break down barriers Americans face in their careers.

M.O.M. REPORT

Inaugural 2023 Mothers Overcome More™ Report Reveals Having a Career is a Luxury that Not All Mothers Can Afford

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New report reveals keys to rural America's future

Workers living in rural America are more likely to feel held back in their career because of where they live, compared to their nonrural counterparts. The G.R.O.W.™ Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce™ report, explores this reality and opportunities to improve future progress.

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CORI, Center on Rural Innovation

How our rural workforce can G.R.O.W.™

The far-reaching G.R.O.W.™ report explores the impact workforce barriers have on rural communities and the potential paths forward. 

Thank you for your interest

Download the G.R.O.W. report now or access the link in the email we send to you . 

See more insights on workforce trends below. 

Generating Rural Opportunities in the Workforce (G.R.O.W.™)

How our rural workforce can G.R.O.W.™

The far-reaching G.R.O.W.™ report explores the impact workforce barriers have on rural communities and the potential paths forward. 

Thank you for your interest

Download the G.R.O.W. report now or access the link in the email we send to you . 

See more insights on workforce trends below. 

CAREER OPTIMISM INDEX®

A comprehensive study of American workers’ career perceptions

Career Optimism Index

The 2024 Career Optimism Index® study finds that workers and employers are facing a critical moment of talent stagnation. Nearly two-thirds (64%) say their company does not offer opportunities for internal mobility. Meanwhile, 44% of employers say their top challenge to finding talent in the past year is a lack of well-qualified applicants.

These findings indicate that employers are not looking internally and, thus, overlooking the potential to upskill and elevate their existing workforce to solve business needs, hindering progression for both workers and organizations.    

What Workers are Saying

More than half (53%) of Americans report feeling easily replaceable in their job positions and 30% of workers don’t feel recognized by their company’s leadership for their contributions.

While 62% of employers say their company currently offers opportunities for internal mobility, only 36% of workers agree.

The Threat of Talent Stagnation

Workers are more than twice as likely to feel like they do not have the ability to advance in their current role when their company does not provide a mentorship program (49% vs. 18%), skills development opportunities (55% vs. 23%), internal mobility (55% vs. 19%), or career path guidelines (53% vs. 19%).

What Employers Can Do

Despite stagnation, workers continue to feel optimistic about their abilities—a belief in themselves to propel the future of their careers: 78% of Americans are hopeful about the future of their career.

This presents an opportunity for employers to capitalize on that optimism and develop the dynamic talent they need from within by providing more opportunities for their workforce to advance internally.

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Provost and Chief Academic Officer John Woods discusses the work of the University of Phoenix Career Institute®

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A message from University of Phoenix Provost & Chief Academic Officer John Woods


More Insights About Career Perceptions

UOPX Researchers & Faculty Share Their Perspectives

Read white papers by University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies researchers and faculty who have dug deeper into the 2021, 2022 and 2023 Career Optimism Index® studies. New white papers will be shared with insights from the 2024 Index!

Download the 2023 Index (PDF)

Download the 2022 Index (PDF)

Download the 2021 Index (PDF)

News

Business Management, Employee Objectives Overlap in Great Stagnation Dilemma
The Great Resignation is effectively over. We’re now in the Great Talent Stagnation, where employers’ biggest concern is the lack of qualified applicants
Workers Crave Career Growth. Employers May Not Be Paying Attention
Internal Candidates Are Being Overlooked By Employers, Causing A ‘Great Talent Stagnation’
Most lower-income working moms describe a career as ‘out-of-reach luxury’
The one thing that makes lower-income mothers feel that a professional career is a 'luxury'
Changing Lives: Aisha Nyandoro's Fight Against Poverty For Moms
Report shows for lower-income moms, even feeling burnout is a luxury
How Equifax upskilled more than 1,000 employees in record time
Video: The power of mentoring programs
More than half of workers say they’re looking for a career change
Why Personal Development Is The Solution To Quiet Quitting
Employers Lean on Learning as an Employee Benefit
How Mentorship Plays a Critical Role in Driving Growth and Retention Amid Workplace Transformation
How To Drive Employee Retention Through Career Support Programs
Job development and skills training key to employee retention, new report suggests
Employees Are Optimistic About Their Professional Futures—Just Not At Their Current Jobs
Workers say they’re hopeful about the future of their careers — but not with their current employers
The Humane Response to the Robots Taking Over Our World
2023 Career Optimism Index® Reveals How Employers Can Retain Talent in a “Free Agent” Labor Market
The Benefits of Workplace Mentorship
Why Relationships Matter for Black Economic Advancement
Report Emphasizes the Importance of Professional Social Capital
An offer they can't refuse: Secrets to success in hiring and keeping talent
1 Thing Warren Buffett Says You Should Do to Be Happy and Successful
The Great Resignation narrative ignores the Black experience in America
University Of Phoenix Provost John Woods On The Labor Shortage & The 5 Things We Must Do To Attract & Retain Great Talent
Three Reasons Why Job Switching is The Key to Recruitment and Retention
5 tips for getting people excited about coming back to LA-area offices
Survey finds significant gaps between employer perceptions, employee realities [KJZZ]
Employees Want Additional Opportunities for Career, Skills Development
69% of Employees Would Stay in Current Role if Employer Made These Five Changes
Survey finds significant gaps between employer perceptions, employee realities [Fronteras]
University Of Phoenix Study Reveals Employees Lack Skills To Be Successful
2022 Career Optimism Index™ Shows Significant Gap Between Employee Realities and Employer Perceptions
JFF and University of Phoenix Career Institute™ Work Together to Drive Equitable Economic Advancement for Black Learners and Workers

White papers

Empathetic Leadership: Transforming Workplaces with Compassion and Understanding
Recruiting and Retaining Millennials and Gen Zs in the Workplace
Invisible Labor: An Examination of the Perceptions of Moms in the Workplace
Mothers’ Plights to Protect their Children and the Impact on Workplace Performance
Unlocking Potential: The transferability of skills from Motherhood to the Workplace
Advancing Careers through Inclusive Support and Collaboration
Thought Leadership in Skills: Skill Sets, Graduate Employability, and Next Steps
How Support Systems Contribute to Increased Retention in the Workplace
LGBTQ+ Employees and the Importance of Advocacy and Mentorship in the Workplac
Remain or resign? Workplace attitudes 2020-2023
Underrepresented Americans: How The Pandemic Rooted Societal Barriers and Derailed Career Trajectories
Skills-based Education: Shifting the Focus of Higher Education
Building Professional Connections and Networking to Enhance Social Capital
Approaches Used for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Working Toward Belonging
Skills Development of American Workers in the Post Pandemic Era using Employee Resource Groups
Burnout as a Cause for Job Dissatisfaction
The American Workforce’s Health Card: Well-Being and Career Trajectories
Developing a Sense of Belonging for African American Women in the Workplace
Higher Perceptions and the Psychological Importance of Career Control in Determining Career Outcomes
Beyond Keeping American Workers Current: Roadmaps for Career Progression
American Workers’ Mental Health and Its Implications in Their Careers
The Role of Demographics in American Workers’ Career Optimism
The American Workforce: From the Great Resignation to the Great Retention
Who is Responsible for Employee Well-Being? The Role of Employers and Resourcing for the Mental Health of their Employees
Supporting the Mental and Emotional Health of Nurses within the Hospital Setting
Belonging: A New Era in Diversity Management Strategy
Online Education and American Workers' Perceptions
Reskilling and Upskilling: Ways to Prepare and Rehire American Workers
Aligning Employer and Employee Perspectives
American Workers' Reasons for Switching Jobs
Career Perception of American Workers and Their Emotional States
Paychecks and the Pandemic: Perceptions by Income Level
Reconnecting with Self and Outside Activities Add to Career Enjoyment, Happiness Levels
Collaborative and Strategic Planning to Meet the Needs of a Multigenerational Workforce and the Organization
Embracing the New Normal: Recruiting and Retaining K-12 Teachers Post-Pandemic
Covid-19 effects on work-life balance for working parents, military workers, and veterans
Women and Lifelong Employability
Career Perception of American Workers: Career Statuses During the Pandemic
Career Pathways: Engineering Your Career to Last Decades
The Covid-19 Pandemic's Impact on the Job Market Across U.S. Major Metropolitan Areas: American Workers' Perceptions
The Impact of a Phenomenon: Women and Minorities in the Workforce and the Gender Wage Gap
Women of Color: A Summary of Higher Education and Career Experiences
Managing the Stress Arc: Using Evidenced Based Cognitive Strategies for Training Employees in Industry to Deal with Large Scale Disaster and Rapid Change
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To learn more about University of Phoenix Career Institute® or the Career Optimism Index®, please contact us at careerinstitute@gregorybgallagher.com.