Using Qualitative Research to Understand the Economy: A Toolkit

This toolkit offers insights on using community-engaged qualitative research practices gleaned from the Federal Reserve's Worker Voices Project and shows how others can use these principles in their own work.

Learning about the first-hand experiences of everyday workers and job seekers adds depth and breadth to the Federal Reserve's understanding of economic conditions and helps us achieve our dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment. That's why the Federal Reserve used these methods to look beyond the numbers to understand the experiences and motivations of workers without a four-year degree in a post-pandemic labor market.

Community-engaged research practices connect with communities as partners to build trust, remove bias, and empower participants to share their lived experiences. This toolkit is for researchers, policymakers, employers, and workforce organizations interested in partnering with the populations they serve and elevating community perspectives in policy, programming, and practice.

Read the toolkit on the Fed Communities website.