
Mission
The Center for Global Work and Employment explores the consequences of a deepening global economy for the governance of work through research, curriculum innovation, and public engagement. Learn more about the Center.
Research
Three primary research streams guide our work:
Future of Work. We explore how to build a human-centered future of work, engaging communities of scholars and practitioners around the world.
China’s Rise and Changing Global Employment Relations. We examine China’s impact on global patterns of employment relations and human resource management, focusing on the intersection of industrial relations and international business.
Comparative Political Economy of Work. We critically engage with contemporary debates about the global knowledge economy, studying the shifting politics and governance of labor, work, and education across industries and countries.
Curriculum Innovation
The Center supports students’ appreciation of global connections through internationalizing the curriculum, including reframing course offerings through a global lens; providing opportunities for students to study abroad; and deepening connections with top global universities. Learn more.
Recent Publications
Revaluing Work(ers): Toward a Democratic and Sustainable Future
Edited by Tobias Schulze-Cleven and Todd E. Vachon (Cornell University Press)
This volume presents a labor studies perspective on the future of work, arguing that revaluing work—the efforts and contributions of workers—is crucial to realizing the promises of democracy and improving sustainability.
> Learn more
Buy the volume at Cornell University Press
Imbalance: Germany’s Political Economy after the Social Democratic Century
Edited by Tobias Schulze-Cleven and Sidney A. Rothstein (Routledge)
This book assesses Germany’s political economy after the end of the "social democratic" 20th century to rethink its dominant properties and create new opportunities for using the country as a powerful lens into the evolution of democratic capitalism.
> Learn more
Event Highlights
Virtual Talk: Private Regulation of Labor Standards in Global Supply Chains - 2/25/22
Rutgers Center for Global Work and Employment and Rutgers Business School hosted a virtual discussion with Sarosh Kuruvilla (Cornell University) on his recent book “Private Regulation of Labor Standards in Global Supply Chains: Problems, Progress, and Prospects.”
Climate Change and the Future of Workers: Toward a Just Transition - 12/7/21
New York City LERA and Rutgers Center for Global Work and Employment hosted a virtual panel on climate change and the future of work, with a focus on the importance of including worker and community voices in shaping and implementing transitions to ensure the potential for just outcomes.
Revaluing Work(ers) – 2021 LERA Research Volume Book Launch Event - 10/27/21
This LERA research volume edited by SMLR’s Tobias Schulze-Cleven and Todd Vachon explores how we can build a world of work that delivers for workers and addresses systemic crises.
Germany After Merkel: A Roundtable Discussion of the Federal Election Results - 09/29/21
The Center for Global Work and Employment and the Center for European Studies hosted an online roundtable discussion of the German federal election results.
Hybrid Talk: The Evolving Political Economy of Labor in China & Indonesia - 09/15/21
Speaker: William Hurst, Chong Hua Professor of Chinese Development at the University of Cambridge
The Need for Effective Leadership in Uncertain Times - 04/13/21
Speaker: Chris Rowley, Professor Emeritus at The Business School, City, University of London
Order Overload? Demand Spikes and Labor Violations in Global Supply Chains - 12/18/20
Speaker: Greg Distelhorst, Assistant Professor at the University of Toronto
Preventing Unemployment During COVID-19: Lessons from European "Short-Time" Employment Schemes - 06/18/20
This webinar explores how European countries have used “short-time” employment schemes to buffer economic displacement by allowing companies to apply for publicly sponsored wage replacement as they reduce employees’ work hours (including to zero).