What’s happening with your work?
Maybe you lost your job. Maybe you’re still searching. Or maybe you’re working, but struggling. Whatever your experience, it’s part of a bigger story. Help us tell it.
Your responses inform our research. We only publish excerpts from your story with your permission.
Behind the Numbers
A one-minute film about what is happening to people’s working lives, and why their experiences belong in the public record.
[On screen: United States, September 2026. Official unemployment rate: 4.2%. People without a job who are actively looking for one. Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, September 2026.]
In September 2026, the official unemployment rate was 4.2 percent. But another measure, one that looks at whether people can find sufficient work at a living wage, tells a different story.
[On screen: True Rate of Unemployment: 24.3%. Also counts people who can’t find full-time work or a living wage. Source: Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity, August 2026. Two different measures, from different months.]
[A main street in Weirton, West Virginia. On screen: “Working. Still struggling.”]
Because having a job doesn’t always mean you’re making enough to live.
[An idled tin mill office in Weirton. On screen: “Still searching.”]
And losing one doesn’t tell us how long you’ve been searching.
[A moving truck. On screen: “Starting over.”]
What you’ve had to give up. Or how your life has changed.
[A grid of squares fills in, then photographs of people at work.]
Behind every number is a person. And behind every person is a story we haven’t heard.
[On screen: State of Work. A public record of work in America, in people’s own words. A mosaic of four-part marks: each mark stands for one account.]
That’s why we’re creating State of Work. A public record of what Americans are experiencing with work, told in their own words.
[On screen: State of Work. What’s happening with your work? Share your experience. stateofwork.org. A public-interest initiative from Avren.]
What’s happening with your work? We want to hear your story.
You might recognize some of this.
It’s rarely just one thing. A job loss, a long search, a smaller paycheck. One challenge can quickly become several.
Start with what happened- I was laid off.
- I’m still looking for work.
- I’m working fewer hours.
- I’m earning less than before.
- I took a job below my experience.
- I’m working, but still struggling.
- I left because of how I was treated at work.
- I had to move.
The economy looks different when you’re living it.
On paper, you’re employed. In reality, you’re barely getting by.
Or maybe you’ve been searching for months, wondering when something will finally come through.
The statistics capture the numbers. We’re here to capture the experiences behind them.
About State of WorkWhat happens when you share
One story matters. Together, they tell us more.
Your experience is yours. But chances are, someone else is going through something similar.
When people across the country share what they’re facing, we begin to see a bigger picture of what work is really like in America.
Every story adds something to that picture. Including yours.
Your story belongs in the bigger picture.
Whatever work has been like for you lately, your experience matters. Help us make it part of the story America needs to hear.
Share your experienceYour responses inform our research. We only publish excerpts with your permission.