W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a private, nonprofit research organization founded in 1945 in Kalamazoo, Michigan that studies employment and unemployment policy for federal, state, and local policymakers, employers, worker advocates, and academic researchers.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1945
- HeadquartersKalamazoo, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research does
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a private, not-for-profit, nonpartisan research organization founded in 1945 in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It conducts research on policy-related issues of employment and unemployment, organized around four focus areas: Strong Places (regional economies, community development, place-based policy), Prepared Workforce (education, skill building, workforce innovation), Resilient Workers (work and life, social insurance), and Quality Jobs (employment relationships, wages and benefits). The Institute serves policymakers, employers, worker advocates, communities, and academic researchers through freely distributed publications and data resources.
The Institute's core products include the Upjohn Research digital repository (hosted on Elsevier's Digital Commons, archiving working papers, policy briefs, and Upjohn Press books back to 1980), the American Job Quality Study (a collaboration with Gallup providing nationally representative data on U.S. job quality), the Policies for Place research initiative, the New Hires Quality Index (monthly tracking of new hire quality), and the Broadly Shared Growth Data Interactive tool. It also operates sub-units Upjohn Regional and the Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions, and funds external research through Dissertation Grants and Early Career Research Awards.
The Institute's business model is grant- and endowment-funded: all publications and data tools are made available free of charge to the public, with no commercial products sold. Revenue derives from research contracts (e.g., commissioned regional analyses for entities such as Whirlpool Corporation and Lakeshore Advantage), grant funding, and endowment income. The organization is governed by a Board of Trustees chaired by Donald R. Parfet and is led by Vice President and Director of Research Alfonso Flores-Lagunes, with a team of senior economists and research fellows.
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
- Legal name
- W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
- Website
- https://upjohn.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1945
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a private, nonprofit research organization founded in 1945 in Kalamazoo, Michigan that studies employment and unemployment policy for federal, state, and local policymakers, employers, worker advocates, and academic researchers.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Labor Economics Research
- NAICS
- Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- SIC
- Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Workforce Data, Labor Market Intelligence (LMI) & Program Evaluation (EDAAAOAN)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom) (BPAHALAE), Workforce Development & Inclusive Employment (Job Training, Placement) (BPAGALAB)
Keywords
Where W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kalamazoo
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a private, not-for-profit, nonpartisan research organization that produces independent research, analysis, and data on employment, unemployment, workforce, and labor market policy. Its deliverables include published working papers, policy briefs, books, interactive data tools (such as the New Hires Quality Index and Broadly Shared Growth Data Interactive), grant programs for outside researchers, and commissioned regional economic analyses.
Product overview
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research operates as a unified research organization offering multiple interconnected products and services. Its core offerings include the main institutional website (www.upjohn.org) providing access to research highlights, staff expertise, and organizational information; the Upjohn Research Repository (research.upjohn.org) built on Elsevier's Digital Commons platform, which archives research output including working papers, policy briefs, and press books since 1980; and specialized research initiatives such as the American Job Quality Study and the Policies for Place Initiative. Supporting offerings include data tools like the Broadly Shared Growth Data Interactive, plus grant programs including Dissertation Research Grants and Early Career Research Awards. The institution does not offer commercial software products but rather research publications, data resources, and funding programs for employment and labor market research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Upjohn Research: Digital repository hosting the research output of staff and external research partners, including Upjohn Press books, working papers, reports, and newsletters archived back to 1980
- Policies for Place
- American Job Quality Study
- Center for Workforce Innovation and Solutions (CWIS)
- Upjohn Regional
Products and services
- American Job Quality Study
Quantifiable outcome
- The New Hires Quality Index provides monthly tracking of new hire quality in the U.S. labor market
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Customer profileSegments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Whirlpool CorporationminorWhirlpool Corporation, located in Benton Harbor Charter Township, commissioned the Upjohn Institute to develop a dashboard of indicators portraying the current and future economic health of the region for Berrien, Cass, and Van Buren Counties. This was a custom research engagement focused on regional economic analysis.
- Lakeshore AdvantagecoreLakeshore Advantage, a nonprofit economic development organization serving businesses in Allegan and Ottawa counties, partnered with the Upjohn Institute to conduct an economic outlook analysis for their region. The partnership focused on understanding long-term economic health and achieving the organization's 2030 goals for median household income, employment growth, and educational attainment.
- Grand Rapids Community CollegeminorCo-sponsored the Economic Outlook for Lakeshore Advantage: Getting to 2030 research report along with Muskegon Community College.
- Muskegon Community CollegeminorCo-sponsored the Economic Outlook for Lakeshore Advantage: Getting to 2030 research report along with Grand Rapids Community College.
- GallupcoreThe American Job Quality Study is a landmark collaboration between the Upjohn Institute and Gallup. This partnership provides a multidimensional picture of the quality of U.S. jobs and gives policymakers, employers, and worker advocates critical information about job quality access and disparities.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Urban Institute: Nonprofit research organization focused on social and economic policy, including workforce, poverty, and labor markets. Highly comparable in target audience (policymakers and social-sector stakeholders) and in producing free, publicly available research and data tools.
- Mathematica Policy Research: Nonpartisan research and evaluation firm conducting program evaluation and policy research on workforce, education, and social programs. Comparable in producing evidence-based research for public- and social-sector clients, with an emphasis on rigorous evaluation methodology.
- Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: Nonpartisan policy research institute focused on low- and moderate-income Americans, including workforce, benefits, and labor issues. Comparable in producing research that informs federal and state policy on employment, wages, and social safety net programs.
- MDRC: Nonprofit social-policy research organization focused on education, workforce development, and evaluation of programs serving low-income populations. Directly comparable in target audience (policymakers, workforce funders) and evidence-based program evaluation work.
- Economic Policy Institute: Nonprofit think tank specializing in labor economics, wages, employment relationships, and worker advocacy — directly comparable in subject-matter focus on jobs, wages, and benefits, and in serving policymakers and worker advocates.
- RTI International: Independent nonprofit research institute delivering science-based research and evaluation across workforce, education, and economic development. Comparable as a nonprofit research producer serving government and philanthropic clients with multi-disciplinary labor-economics expertise.
- National Bureau of Economic Research: Private nonprofit dedicated to conducting economic research, with strong labor and workforce working groups. Comparable as an independent research community producing working papers, convening economists, and shaping labor-economics evidence used by policymakers.
Others
- ManpowerGroup: Global workforce solutions and staffing company that publishes proprietary labor-market research (e.g., Employment Outlook). Comparable as a producer of workforce research and data products consumed by employers and policymakers, though operating from a commercial rather than nonprofit model.
Broad incumbents
- RAND Corporation: Large, established nonprofit research institution conducting policy research across labor, education, health, and security — comparable as an independent, nonpartisan research producer operating at significant scale with public-facing reports.
- Brookings Institution: Major D.C.-based policy think tank producing research on economic policy, workforce, and labor markets. Comparable in mission (nonpartisan, public-interest research) and audience (policymakers, employers, media) but with much broader issue coverage and larger endowment.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research social profiles
Digital presenceW.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
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Frequently asked questions about W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
What does W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research do?
The W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a private, not-for-profit, nonpartisan research organization that produces independent research, analysis, and data on employment, unemployment, workforce, and labor market policy. Its deliverables include published working papers, policy briefs, books, interactive data tools (such as the New Hires Quality Index and Broadly Shared Growth Data Interactive), grant programs for outside researchers, and commissioned regional economic analyses.
Is W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research a public or private company?
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research founded?
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research was founded in 1945. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research based?
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research is headquartered in Kalamazoo, United States, in the North America region.
Who are W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Urban Institute, Mathematica Policy Research, Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, MDRC, Economic Policy Institute, RTI International and National Bureau of Economic Research. ManpowerGroup is listed as an others. Broad incumbents are RAND Corporation and Brookings Institution.
Does W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research have an API?
No public API is recorded for W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research.
What industry is W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research in?
W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research's product category is Labor Economics Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAAOAN, Workforce Data, Labor Market Intelligence (LMI) & Program Evaluation, with a secondary code of BPAHALAE, Industry & Sector Research (Syndicated/Custom). Its NAICS code is 54172 and its SIC code is 8700.