Abigail Carlton joined The Rockefeller Foundation in 2009. As Managing Director, Ms. Carlton led the Foundation’s US efforts to expand opportunity and create more inclusive markets in a changing global economy. This included the Foundation’s US Youth Employment initiative, a multi-year effort focused on working with private sector employers to increase employment among young people with limited education and work experience. Since joining the Foundation, Ms. Carlton had designed and implemented a range of initiatives focused on job quality for low-wage US workers, employment opportunities in healthcare and the green economy, and long-term unemployment, among others.
Prior to joining the Rockefeller Foundation, Ms. Carlton’s work to expand economic opportunity for low-wage workers, families and communities spanned the private and non-profit sectors, government and academia. She has held research and program management positions with New York University’s Institute for Education and Social Policy, the US Department of Labor, Georgetown Public Policy Institute, the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration, and the law firm Cravath, Swaine and Moore, LLP. Ms. Carlton is an active member and past chair of the board of Start Small Think Big, a nonprofit organization that promotes small business development in New York City’s most underserved communities.
Ms. Carlton received a bachelor’s degree from the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University and a master’s degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University.
Authored Content
Dec 27 2019
#Solvable Racial division is #Solvable Racial division is #Solvable. Former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu shares a vision of racial understanding driven by a formal reconciliation process never before attempted in the United States. Mitch Landrieu was the 61st Mayor of New Orleans, helping to steer the city during its recovery from Hurricane Katrina and the BP Oil Spill. He […]Feb 28 2018
Blog Post Announcing ShiftLabs: A Community Design Lab on the Future of Work Work is more than just a paycheck. It is the way we support our families and contribute to our communities. It is our primary vehicle for economic stability, opportunity, and upward mobility. And for many of us, it is how we spend the majority of our waking hours and is a source of purpose and […] Abigail Carlton, Kristin Sharp, Molly Kinder, Rachel KorbergJan 11 2018
Blog Post Technology: A Powerful (and Positive) Solution to the Future of Work These days, nearly every conversation about the future of work comes back to a central theme: How will automation shape the jobs of the future and the future of workers? For low-wage workers in particular, the predictions are troubling—a recent report by the McKinsey Global Institute estimates an elimination of nearly 73 million jobs by […] Abigail Carlton, Laura RobertsApr 11 2017
Blog Post Engaging Employers: Three Lessons from Impact Hiring A couple of weeks ago, influential employers – including T-Mobile, Gap Inc., and McDonalds* – came to New Orleans for an unprecedented gathering on jobs in the United States. Each had expressed enthusiasm for impact hiring—an approach that creates business value through hiring and investing in individuals who face barriers to economic opportunity. Through a […] Abigail Carlton, Nicole TrimbleMar 21 2017
Blog Post New Survey Research: Key Findings on the State of Entry-Level Employment in the U.S. This is a critical moment for unemployed youth in America. As the labor market tightens and demographic and technological shifts usher in major changes in the workforce, companies are increasingly competing for talent to fill entry-level jobs. Despite this demand, the unemployment rate for younger workers, at 11 percent, remains more than double the national […] Abigail Carlton