Jobs

College campuses are where many great journalists first were bitten by the investigative reporting “bug” and first experienced the thrills, and challenges, of digging into a complex story. Nothing beats talking to students, faculty, staff and members of surrounding communities, of course. But online databases and sources can provide context and data, and generate new stories and fresh angles.

Listed below are some online databases to get you started. But a bit of background before you dive in:

The phenomenon of increasing “job polarization” in the U.S. labor market — a sharper division of work into low- and high-skill categories, with fewer middle-skill jobs left — has been well-documented in academic literature. Technology, globalization and the decline of U.S. manufacturing are often thought to be driving this trend. But the precise dynamics are still being investigated.

Economic theory predicts that in the short run, increased immigration in a competitive job market should lower workers’ wages.  Studies have been less conclusive, however, leading to research on how immigration affects workers with different skills or in different demographic categories.