Most Americans are employed in jobs that don’t meet basic standards for quality, according to a new study backed by Jobs for the Future (JFF), Gallup, the Families and Workers Fund, W.E. Upjohn Institute, and the Gates Foundation.
The American Job Quality Study (AJQS), which surveyed more than 18,000 workers, is the first nationally-representative study of its kind and covers all sectors of the U.S. economy. The study also represents a shift in how the strength of the economy and the realities of people’s experiences on the job are measured.
Maria Flynn, president and CEO of JFF, shared with Forbes: “For too long we’ve been reliant on data that counts the number of jobs being created and earnings, but there are big question marks around the quality of jobs. Even when the economy was doing well, you’d hear about workers being discouraged and disillusioned.”
What counts as a quality job? The study defines quality jobs as those that meet the minimum criteria of at least three of five of the dimensions studied: financial well-being, workplace culture and safety, growth and development opportunities, agency and voice, and work structure and autonomy. These dimensions of quality are informed by decades of research on what workers need to be successful, both professionally and in life.
Key Findings
- Overall, fewer than half (40%) of workers in the U.S. have a quality job. A higher percentage of non-W-2 workers—like independent contractors, gig workers, and self-employed people—have a quality job than W-2 employees (46% vs. 39%).
- Men are more likely to have a quality job than women (45% vs. 34%), and Asian and White employees are more likely to hold quality jobs than other races and ethnicities. The youngest employees (ages 18-24) are the least likely age group to have a quality job, corroborating the labor market woes faced by Gen Zers.
- Employees with a bachelor’s (47%) or graduate degree (54%) are significantly more likely to have quality jobs than workers with an associate degree (35%), some college (33%), or a high school diploma or less (28%). The AJQS does not dig into the return on investment of alternative credentials, which have gained popularity in recent years in lieu or in addition to a four-year degree; however, these data suggest that traditional degree pathways most successfully connect workers with financial security and career mobility.
- The study also surfaced regional differences in job quality. Quality jobs are more common in the West (44%) than in other Census regions: Northeast (39%), South (38%), and Midwest (36%).
- Job quality varies greatly by industry. White-collar fields including professional services (53%), wholesale trade (49%), and financial activities (48%) lead in overall job quality. Leisure and hospitality, retail trade, and warehousing often fall short—all with less than one-third of employees in a quality job.
Importantly, quality jobs are linked with better outcomes for workers, both personally and professionally. Workers with quality jobs report that they are more satisfied with their lives and jobs, and are more likely to feel happy on a regular basis. Workers with quality jobs also say they are healthier overall and experience greater emotional well-being than other workers.
But with the majority of jobs failing to meet quality standards, Americans are struggling with burnout, stagnation, and financial instability. More than half say they lack control of their schedules (62%) and are left out of important workplace decisions. (55%) 1 in 4 say their job offers no room for promotion or advancement. Nearly 3 in 10 Americans are “just getting by” or “finding it difficult” to make ends meet.
