The UC Merced Community and Labor Center conducts research and education on issues of community, labor and the environment. It is a public institution located in the eight-county San Joaquin Valley region, with an emphasis on applied research and public education, building civic capacity and serving the most disadvantaged residents in the region and beyond.

The center is the largest labor center serving a rural region in the US. It has four major areas of expertise: rural work, workers' rights, immigrant rights, and climate and jobs.

The center's projects have been funded by a variety of public agencies and philanthropic foundations. These include the California Department of Public Health, California Labor & Workforce Development Agency, California Workforce Development Board, City of Fresno, and the United States Department of Agriculture.