Research Matters – C2ER/LMI Institute August 27, 2026

Research Matters - Bi-Weekly Update

August 27, 2026 | Diana Romero

August 27, 2026

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Features

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Build Your Foundation:

2026 Basic LMI Analyst In‑Person Training

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The LMI Institute’s most popular foundational training is back in person November 16 & 17, 2026. The Basic LMI Analyst Training provides a hands-on introduction to core labor market data sources, analytical methods, and practical techniques used across workforce and economic development.

As an added bonus, all registrants receive free access to the full Basic Analyst E‑Learning course, giving you both live instruction and on-demand learning to reinforce your skills.

Seats are limited and this course is only offered once a year, so don’t miss your chance to build a strong foundation in LMI analysis.

Early bird rates ends October 31^st.

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Click Here for Full Details and Registration

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Where Should C2ER Head Next?

You Tell Us.

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Ready to put your city on the map? The 68th C2ER + LMI Institute Annual Conference in 2028 is looking for its next host, and your region might be the perfect backdrop for the biggest gathering of researchers, practitioners, and leaders in our field.

Think of it as your chance to show off what makes your community shine. Innovation, collaboration, great food, walkable neighborhoods, a skyline that deserves more love; whatever makes your region special, we want to see it.

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Member‑driven leadership powers C2ER and choosing a host city is one of the most meaningful ways you shape our shared future. The Executive Committee reviews all submissions and evaluates prospective locations based on established criteria before recommending a final site.

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Put your city forward and help shape the 2028 conference experience.

Applications are due October 2, 2027.

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Nomination Information

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Apply Here

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News & Reports

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Headlines

Build Freedom Summit – Call for Presenters and Sessions Now Open for October Summit
Census Bureau – Schedule for Income, Poverty and Health Insurance Statistics and Updates About the American Community Survey Estimates
Department of Labor – Modernizing America’s Skills-Data Infrastructure
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta – The Geography of AI Demand in the Southeast: Patterns of Growth and Labor Market Structure
Hubbell Environmental Law Initiative University of Iowa College of Law – Iowa Data Center Decision Tool

Reports – From Our Members

California Center of Excellence for Labor Market Research – Regional Responses: Overcoming Barriers to Apprenticeship Development
Entreworks – Can More Robust Job Training Stem AI Disruption?

Reports – Non-members

Department of the Treasury – Use of the Opportunity Zone Tax Incentive through 2024: An Update
Microsoft – 2026 Work Trend Index Annual Report: Agents, Human Agency, and the Opportunity for Every Organization
New York University Tandon – Inside the Urban Machine: Where America’s Data Centers Actually Live
Smart Growth America – Complete Streets, Stronger

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Have a report you’d like to share?

Tell us!

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ICYMI

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Manufacturing Dive – MIT Wants Technologists to Be the Nurse Practitioners for Manufacturing
NPR – Here’s How Gyms, Salons and Ice Cream Are Changing America’s Main Streets
Spectrum News 1 – Mid-Decade Redistricting Could Be Linked to Challenging 2030 Census

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Data Visualization

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*Interactive* USAFacts – What Is the Unemployment Rate in the US Right Now?

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Careers

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Have an open position that might be of interest to C2ER members?

Let us post your job listing!

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Send the position title, description, and any other relevant information to Jennifer Gual.

Jobs are typically posted within 1 business day and postings remain active for 45 days if no closing date is specified.

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Our Events

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C2ER Member Only Webinar

CERP Presentation: Beyond Economic Impact – Evaluating the Coca-Cola Space Science Center as an Economic, STEM Workforce, and National Security Asset

September 8, 2026

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET

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Census Bureau/Local Employment Dynamics (LED) Partnership with C2ER + LMI Institute

Connecting Jobs and Walkability with Census Data

September 9, 2026

1:30 PM – 2:45 PM ET

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