UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE)

What UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) does

UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE) is a multidisciplinary research center within UCLA's College of Letters & Science, Social Sciences Division. Founded in 1947, the institute advances labor research and education for economic justice through four core operating units: the UCLA Labor Center (community-engaged research and worker advocacy), UCLA Labor Studies Department (undergraduate major and minor), UCLA LOSH (Labor Occupational Safety and Health), and HARRT (Human Resources fellowship). Additional research initiatives include the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative (producer of the Hollywood Diversity Report series), UCLA Strategic Research Lab, Memory Work Research Initiative, and the Transnational Gender and Labor Working Group. Educational programs include the Labor Summer Research Program, Community Internships, Major Research Capstone, and the binational Community Scholars course with UNAM, UAQ, and UAM.

IRLE serves UCLA undergraduates, labor unions, worker advocacy organizations, government policymakers, and community-based research partners. Its core product surface consists of academic courses, applied research studies (over 40 community-led studies with low-wage workers), recurring publications (Hollywood Diversity Report, State of the Unions, IRLE Quarterly, Weekly Labor Reads), and the Re:Work storytelling podcast. The institute is governed by UCLA as part of the public University of California system and currently operates under Director Tobias Higbie (appointed September 2022). Funding flows from UCLA institutional allocations, state budget appropriations (including a $15 million state allocation in 2021 for the Labor Center's downtown renovation), and external grants from government agencies and foundations. IRLE does not operate as a commercial entity and does not sell products or services in a traditional market; its outputs are research, education, and policy engagement delivered through UCLA's academic infrastructure and community partnerships primarily across California, with cross-border US-Mexico collaborations.

Name

UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE)

Legal name

UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment

Website

https://irle.ucla.edu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1947

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UCLA IRLE is a multidisciplinary research center advancing labor research and education for economic justice through academic programs, community-engaged research, and policy work, serving UCLA undergraduates, labor unions, worker advocacy organizations, and government policymakers primarily in California.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Research and Labor Studies Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAA

Comprehensive Doctoral Research Universities (Multi-Disciplinary)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

SECONDARYEDAHAEAE

Applied Research & Innovation Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Technical & Polytechnic Universities

SECONDARYEDADAKAH

Research Administration & Compliance (Sponsored Programs, IRB/REB)

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Institutional Governance & Administration (School/College/University Admin)

Keywords

• Labor research
• Labor studies
• Workforce development
• Occupational safety
• Employment policy

Headquarters

HQ city

Los Angeles

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. University Core Funding: UCLA IRLE operates as part of UCLA's College of Letters & Science and Social Sciences Division, receiving institutional funding through the University of California system.
2. State Budget Allocations: The UCLA Labor Center received a $15 million state budget allocation for renovation of its historic downtown location. Annual state budget increases support worker justice programs.
3. Grants and Sponsored Research: External research grants from government agencies, foundations, and labor organizations fund specific research initiatives and programs.
4. Collaborative Research Funding: Multi-institutional research reports such as State of the Unions involve collaborative funding from UC Berkeley Labor Center and Inland Empire Labor and Community Center at UC Riverside.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UCLA IRLE is a multidisciplinary research center housed within UCLA's College of Letters & Science that advances labor research and education for economic justice. It operates an undergraduate Labor Studies major and minor, four operational units (UCLA Labor Center, LOSH, HARRT, and Labor Studies), and multiple research initiatives producing publications such as the Hollywood Diversity Report series and State of the Unions. Its offering includes academic programming, community-based research, worker health and safety training, and binational (US-Mexico) labor education.

Product overview

UCLA IRLE is a multidisciplinary research center organized as a platform-plus-units structure. The core academic offering is the UCLA Department of Labor Studies (major/minor programs), which feeds into four operational units: the UCLA Labor Center (community engagement and worker advocacy), UCLA LOSH (worker health and safety), HARRT (human resources fellowship), and the Labor Studies academic program. Research initiatives include the Entertainment and Media Research Initiative (Hollywood Diversity Report series), UCLA Strategic Research Lab, Memory Work Research Initiative, and the Transnational Gender and Labor Working Group. Educational programs include the Labor Summer Research Program, Community Internships, Major Research Capstone, and Community Scholars (binational course with Mexican universities). The institution publishes ongoing research through the Hollywood Diversity Report series, State of the Unions annual reports, the Re:Work podcast, IRLE Quarterly, and Weekly Labor Reads newsletters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• UCLA Labor Studies Department (Major and Minor) Academic department offering undergraduate major and minor programs focused on work, labor systems, and social, political, and economic forces, with curriculum integrating sociology, economics, political science, ethnic studies, history, law, policy, and public health.
• UCLA Labor Center Unit of IRLE that advances labor research and education, connecting UCLA with the Los Angeles community through research projects, community engagement, and worker advocacy.
• UCLA LOSH (Labor Occupational Safety and Health) Program dedicated to promoting worker health and safety for all workers through research, training, and outreach.
• HARRT (Human Assets and Responsive Research Team) Human resources fellowship program that prepares students for careers in human resources through experiential learning.
• Entertainment and Media Research Initiative (EMRI) Research initiative producing the Hollywood Diversity Report series, examining relationships between diversity and box office/revenue performance in the entertainment industry.
• UCLA Strategic Research Lab Research initiative focused on strategic labor research, hosting the annual UCLA Strategic Labor Research Conference and running industry research bootcamps.
• Memory Work Research Initiative Research initiative focused on memory work scholarship and methodologies.
• Labor Summer Research Program (LSRP) Summer research seminar with fieldwork that places students in community organizations, unions, and immigrant rights groups to learn applied research, organizing, and campaign skills focused on the Los Angeles labor movement.
• Community Internships (Labor Studies 195CE) Internship program connecting students with professionals, community activists, and the public to gain perspectives on labor-related subjects through direct engagement.
• Community Scholars Program (Binational Course) Binational course for students in Mexico and the US offered in partnership with UNAM, UAQ, and UAM, preparing North American labor rights experts with understanding of labor relations and worker organizing in both countries.
• Major Research Capstone Research capstone course requirement for Labor Studies majors, providing experiential learning through community engagement.
• Hollywood Diversity Report Series Comprehensive report series analyzing diversity trends in Hollywood entertainment, including theatrical releases, streaming content, and television programming, with data on representation and box office performance.
• State of the Unions (California Labor) Annual publication providing snapshots of the labor movement in California and the nation, including data on union density, member demographics, and labor organizing activity.
• Transnational Gender and Labor Working Group Working group focused on transnational gender and labor scholarship and research.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UC Berkeley Labor CentercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2025Collaborative partnership on State of the Unions: California Labor report, providing comprehensive data on union density, member demographics, and labor organizing activity. The partnership combines UCLA IRLE and UC Berkeley Labor Center research expertise to produce statewide labor movement analysis.
• Inland Empire Labor and Community Center at UC Riverside (IELCC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 August 2025IELCC contributes a chapter to the State of the Unions report, bringing Inland Empire regional perspective to statewide labor movement analysis. Partnership extends research collaboration across UC system labor research centers.
• National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Binational partnership for Community Scholars course on Cross-Border Solidarity: Introduction to Labor Movements in Mexico and the US. UNAM students participate alongside UCLA students in virtual weekly dialogues and collaborative research on North American labor relations.
• Autonomous University of Queretaro (UAQ)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partner institution in binational Community Scholars program bringing together US and Mexican students for cross-border labor education. UAQ students engage in virtual dialogues and community-engaged participatory research on US-Mexico labor solidarity.
• Autonomous University of Mexico (UAM)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Mexican university partner in Community Scholars binational course on US-Mexico labor movements. UAM students participate in weekly virtual dialogues and collaborative research projects alongside UCLA and other partner institution students.
• UCLA Labor CentercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUCLA Labor Center is a core unit within IRLE, actively collaborating with the Labor Studies department. The Labor Center provides Project Directors who teach courses and leads community-based research initiatives with labor advocacy organizations.
• UCLA Center for Labor Research & EducationcoreOthersThe Labor Center works in active collaboration with IRLE's Labor Studies department, providing faculty, research capacity, and community partnerships for the academic program.
• Cesar E. Chavez Department of Chicana/o and Central American StudiesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic department collaboration with IRLE, particularly for the Community Scholars program and shared faculty appointments. Professors from the department teach Labor Studies courses and participate in cross-departmental initiatives.
• UCLA Center for Community LearningmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with IRLE on the Community Scholars program, coordinating community-engaged learning and research initiatives across partner institutions.
• Los Angeles City Workforce Development BoardminorOthersSaba Waheed, Director of UCLA Labor Center, serves on the board which annually manages more than $50 million in public funds to build the LA economy.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Economic Policy Institute: Established national think tank on labor and economic policy. Comparable research output and policy influence in labor economics, though operates nationally as an independent nonprofit rather than a university center.
• National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) Labor Studies Program: Premier US labor economics research network. Comparable in producing labor economics research cited by policymakers, but operates as a national affiliate network rather than a single university center.
• Cornell University ILR School: The largest and oldest US university labor school. Comparable in offering labor research, undergraduate and graduate education, and policy engagement, but with broader scope, dedicated school status, and a national ILR brand that far exceeds IRLE's footprint.
• MIT Sloan School of Management — Institute for Work and Employment Research: MIT Sloan's work and employment research arm. Comparable in producing academic research on labor markets and workforce policy, but embedded in a broader business school portfolio rather than a dedicated labor center.

Emerging players

• Roosevelt Institute: Progressive economic policy think tank producing labor and inequality research. Comparable in orientation toward worker-centered economic policy, though operates outside the university system.

Direct peers

• UC Berkeley Labor Center: UC system's sister labor research center at Berkeley. Directly comparable in mission (applied labor research, policy engagement) and a current collaborator on the State of the Unions annual report.
• UC Riverside Inland Empire Labor and Community Center (IELCC): UC system's third labor research center, focused on Inland Empire. Direct peer in scale and applied research model, and a current collaborator on the State of the Unions report.
• CUNY Murphy Institute for Worker Education: CUNY's labor education and research unit. Comparable in combining undergraduate labor education with applied research and worker-advocacy partnerships, though anchored in New York rather than Los Angeles.
• Georgetown Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor: Georgetown's interdisciplinary labor research center. Directly comparable as a university-based applied labor research center engaging students, faculty, and policy makers on worker justice.

Regional players

• University of Wisconsin-Madison Center for Research on the Wisconsin Economy: University-based labor and economic research center. Comparable in the university-anchored research model, but focused on Wisconsin/Midwest policy rather than California labor markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uclairle
• Facebookfacebook.com/IRLEUCLA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/uclairle
• Instagraminstagram.com/uclairle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about UCLA Institute for Research on Labor and Employment (IRLE)