American Job Quality Study
Led by Jobs for the Future, The Families & Workers Fund, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, and Gallup, the American Job Quality Study provides a data-driven understanding of the state of American jobs.
Thank you for preregistering for American Job Quality Study releases.
The American Job Quality Study
The way we work is changing — but the way we measure it hasn’t kept up.
Traditional labor statistics tell us how many people have jobs. But they tell us far less about how good those jobs are and why that matters.
The American Job Quality Study, led by Jobs for the Future, The Families & Workers Fund, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research, and Gallup, provides a deeper, data-driven look at the real story of work in America today.
This multiyear research effort surveyed more than 18,000 workers across various industries, demographics and job types. The result: the most comprehensive picture yet of what makes a job truly work for people, businesses and the economy.
This study builds on previous research that called for deeper, more comprehensive data on what matters most to workers — and now delivers on that call with unprecedented depth, scale and rigor.
What Makes This Study Different
Unprecedented Scale
A nationally representative study of more than 18,000 workers surveyed across job types, industries, regions and demographics.
Multidimensional View
Goes far beyond wages or job satisfaction to explore how job quality elements interact — compounding or offsetting one another — and impact worker wellbeing.
Better Worker Representation
Includes part-time and non-W2 workers often excluded from national labor surveys.
Why Job Quality Matters Now
Workplace norms and worker expectations have shifted dramatically. Today’s labor market is shaped by new economic realities, evolving technologies and changing values.
Yet we’re still relying on outdated metrics to define success.
This study comes at a critical time — offering fresh insights into how job quality affects workers’ wellbeing, job satisfaction, health, work-life balance, and personal financial situation, which all tie to burnout and turnover and ultimately affect U.S. economic competitiveness. It’s a call to leaders across public and private sectors: If we want a strong and stable workforce, we have to start by understanding what workers need to thrive at work.
The Five Dimensions of Job Quality
Our research highlights five core dimensions that shape how workers experience their jobs. These dimensions were developed in partnership with leading economists and job quality experts. They build on decades of research on what workers need to thrive at work and in life.
Acknowledgments
Gallup acknowledges the invaluable contributions of numerous partners and stakeholders whose support and collaboration have been instrumental in the development of the survey and report.
Partnering/Contributing Organizations
Research Task Force
We offer special thanks to our research task force — some of the nation's top experts on job quality who helped design this study and ensure rigorous, relevant insights.
- Susan Houseman, Senior Economist, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
- Katharine G. Abraham, Distinguished University Professor of Economics, University of Maryland
- Chandra Childers, Senior Policy and Economic Analyst, Economic Policy Institute
- Erica L. Groshen, Senior Economics Advisor, Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations
- Alexander Hertel-Fernandez, Herbert Lehman Professor of Government, Columbia University
- Erin L. Kelly, Sloan Distinguished Professor of Work and Organization Studies, MIT Sloan School of Management, and Co-Director, MIT Institute for Work and Employment Research
- Thomas A. Kochan, George M. Bunker Professor Emeritus, MIT Sloan School of Management and Institute for Work and Employment Research
- Susan J. Lambert, Professor Emerita, Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice, University of Chicago
- Camille Lloyd, Director, Gallup Center on Black Voices
- Beth C. Truesdale, Research Fellow, W.E. Upjohn Institute for Employment Research
Additional Insights
Hear More From the American Job Quality Study
Fill out the form below and be the first to know about American Job Quality Study releases.