Welcome to IWER
How can work be improved—for both workers and organizations? That's a question central to the work of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER).
IWER is a multidisciplinary and highly collaborative hub for the study of work and employment, housed at MIT Sloan but including researchers from other departments across MIT. IWER-affiliated scholars conduct and disseminate cutting-edge research that improves the lives of workers and their loved ones and that guides managers and policy makers in crafting a successful and inclusive future of work. On these webpages, you can find out more about IWER—our mission, activities, PhD program, weekly seminar series, courses, storied history, and more.
What's New at IWER
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Institute for Work and Employment Research The Wisdom of Lotte Bailyn: Envisioning a New World of Work
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Institute for Work and Employment Research IWER Faculty Members Win Seed Grants to Explore Impacts of Generative AI
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Institute for Work and Employment Research Understanding South Korea’s Gender Gaps in Employment and Wages
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Institute for Work and Employment Research IWER Newsletter: Fostering Economic Mobility Through Good Jobs
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Institute for Work and Employment Research Highlighting Management Practices That Benefit Disadvantaged Workers
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Institute for Work and Employment Research Identifying the U.S. Locations that Most Facilitate Cross-Class Mingling
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Institute for Work and Employment Research Stansbury Named One of 40 Best MBA Professors Under 40
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Institute for Work and Employment Research In New Harvard Business Review Article, Kochan Advises Executives to Become “Labor-Savvy.”
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Institute for Work and Employment Research Shedding New Light on Contract Employment in the U.S.
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IWER
IWER History
The late Phyllis A. Wallace, a professor in MIT IWER, was a pioneer in researching the economics of discrimination in the labor market.
Learn More About IWER's HistoryIWER Activities
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Research Projects
IWER scholars are researching timely work-related topics-- ranging from reducing bias in organizational processes to amplifying employee voice in the workplace.
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PhD Program
IWER offers a world-renowned multidisciplinary PhD program in conjunction with the Behavioral and Policy Sciences faculty at MIT Sloan. We admit a small number of students and work closely with them.
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Seminar Series
IWER’s weekly seminar series, held on Tuesdays throughout the academic year, is one of the longest-running seminar series at MIT and features researchers from universities across the US and internationally.
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Publications
IWER faculty disseminate their research findings and ideas through a wide variety of media – from scholarly journal articles to op-ed columns and interviews.
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Resources for MBA Students
Interested in learning more about the human side of management while studying at MIT Sloan? Explore IWER's course guide for master's students.
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Resources for Managers
Decades of research at MIT and elsewhere have shown that some companies achieve good returns while paying workers more than their competitors do.
Year In Review
Making Work Better
How can work be improved for both employees and organizations? This question is central to the work of the MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research (IWER), which began as the Industrial Relations Section of the MIT Department of Economics and Social Science in 1937.
Learn MoreGood jobs are essential for good lives. Our great challenge is not simply creating jobs but assuring that they are good and, by the same token, upgrading the quality of existing work. We have the tools to achieve these goals but need to come together and build the will to move forward."Read More