A recent report highlights a troubling trend in the U.S. labor market: while many jobs exist, a significant portion of American workers do not have access to quality employment. Released on October 12, 2023, the study, conducted by Gallup in collaboration with Jobs for the Future, the Families & Workers Fund, and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, surveyed over 18,000 workers across various industries.
The research was spearheaded by Molly Blankenship, director at Jobs for the Future, who emphasized that traditional measures of employment do not adequately capture the nuances of job quality. “The way that we measure jobs in this country just has not kept up with the way work actually operates,” she stated. The report aims to provide a clearer picture of workers’ experiences related to pay, culture, and job security.
Understanding Job Quality
The study underscores the importance of job quality, particularly in light of phenomena such as the “Great Resignation” and the rise of quiet quitting during the pandemic. Blankenship noted that quality jobs have far-reaching effects not only on individual workers but also on their families and communities. “We’ve been really intentional in this survey of measuring the impact of different elements of job quality on worker satisfaction,” she said. “Satisfaction directly impacts productivity and engagement levels, which have major implications for businesses.”
The researchers identified five critical components that contribute to a quality job: fair pay and benefits, job security, opportunities for skill development, employee voice in decision-making, and manageable workloads. For many workers, these elements are not uniformly available.
Key Findings on Worker Experiences
The findings reveal systemic issues affecting the workforce. For instance, while 71% of employees reported having the freedom to dictate how they perform their tasks, 62% expressed dissatisfaction with their unpredictable work schedules. Blankenship highlighted that many workers, regardless of education level, struggle with work-life balance, often working longer hours than planned without clear schedules.
Training opportunities also appear to be skewed. The report indicates that most on-the-job training is being directed towards employees with higher formal education, leaving many workers without essential skills development. More than half of respondents felt they had limited influence over technology choices in their workplaces and nearly half believed they lacked a voice in shaping their working conditions.
Blankenship advocates for a more inclusive dialogue between employers and employees, stating that fostering open communication could be a straightforward solution for many organizations. “It’s low-hanging fruit for employers to embrace two-way dialogue without employees fearing retaliation,” she remarked.
The implications of this research extend beyond individual workplaces. Community colleges and universities could utilize these findings to better support students entering a shifting job market. By understanding what constitutes a quality job, workers can advocate for better conditions and negotiate for their needs more effectively.
As Molly Blankenship concluded, recognizing the various aspects of a quality job can empower individuals throughout their careers, helping them to navigate the complexities of modern work environments. The insights from this report may be instrumental in guiding future discussions on employment standards and worker rights in the United States.
