Most U.S. workers are employed in jobs that do not meet basic standards for quality, according to a landmark study released today that was backed by, among others, the Gates Foundation. Gallup’s American Job Quality Study (AJQS), which surveyed more than 18,000 workers across the nation, concludes that just 40% of working Americans hold “quality jobs”—roles that offer fair pay, stability, respect, opportunities for growth, and a voice in how the job is done. A significant majority—about 60%—work in jobs that fall short.
The annual study is the first-ever nationally representative effort to directly measure job quality across every sector of the U.S. economy. Led by Gallup, the Families and Workers Fund, Jobs for the Future, and the W.E. Upjohn Institute, and supported by the Gates Foundation and other groups. It goes beyond standard measures like employment rates or wage averages, instead evaluating five core dimensions: financial well-being, workplace culture and safety, opportunity for growth, agency and input, and structure and autonomy.
