The Workforce Development area conducts in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level.

US Department of Health and Human Services; Office of the Administration for Children and Families; Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation; Self-Sufficiency, Welfare, and Employment portfolio addresses innovative approaches for increasing economic self-sufficiency and reducing welfare dependency, including rigorous evaluations of promising employment strategies. Studies address a variety of topics including alternative welfare-to-work strategies, career ladders, employment retention and advancement, and strategies to promote work in rural areas.

Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse provides the synthesis and dissemination of research and demonstration findings, and provides researchers, policymakers, and practitioners access to high-quality research focusing on self-sufficiency, employment, and family and child well-being.

Implementing the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) website was developed as a result of a 2014 law (the WIOA) which placed a new focus on pursuing evidence-based practices in workforce development.