Abstract
Keywords
Many jobs offer predictable, safe, full-time, and well-remunerated work. Yet, a growing number of U.S. jobs are considered “low quality,” meaning they offer poor working conditions, low wages, unpredictable or inadequate hours, and lack benefits like paid sick leave and healthcare (Howell & Kalleberg, 2019). Employment represents a social determinant of health (U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022), and such jobs represent barriers to economic security and well-being for many workers.
In 2020, there were approximately 6.3 million Americans considered to be “working poor,” meaning they earned wages below the U.S. poverty level while participating in the workforce (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2020). Inadequate wages and benefits are common in service and retail occupations and “non-traditional” work arrangements, which comprise a growing share of the U.S. economy, overrepresenting women, immigrants, and workers of color (Tran & Sokas, 2017). Many such workers experience high injury and illness rates and systematic exclusions from federal oversight (Tran & Sokas, 2017).
Responding to concerns about job quality in the United States, the Department of Labor (DOL) instituted the Good Jobs Initiative (GJI) in 2022 (U.S. DOL, 2022). This initiative aims to define, measure, and promote “good jobs” for American workers. Through partnerships among federal agencies, researchers, worker advocates, industry representatives, and nonprofit organizations, the GJI aims to promote workers’ rights, increase career advancement opportunities, and increase “good job” principles in federally funded contracts (U.S. DOL, 2022). The DOL also plans to develop and measure “good job” indicators (Hertel-Fernandez et al., 2022) and provides toolkits for workers, employers, and governments aspiring to promote GJI tenets.
The GJI enumerates eight “good jobs” principles, which include workplaces that
engage in equitable recruitment and hiring;
provide “family-sustaining” benefits (e.g., paid leave and caregiving support);
prioritize diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility;
encourage worker representation in decision-making and organizing;
prioritize job security and equitable working conditions (e.g., predictable scheduling and adequate hours);
create worker-centered organizational cultures;
pay predictable, livable wages;
create and prioritize opportunities for advancement, including apprenticeships, training, and education (U.S. DOL, 2022).
Job quality represents an important research area, with opportunities for Occupational Health Nursing (OHN) contributions. GJI principles have potential to improve retention, job satisfaction, competitiveness, and health and safety. OHNs can gather evidence about GJI principles, including their connections to Total Worker Health (Schill & Chosewood, 2013), and impacts on workers, the economy, and safety and health outcomes. In addition, occupational health nurses can help employersintegrate GJI principles, identify improvement areas, and develop metrics for self-evaluations. Finally, OHNs can advocate for high-quality positions within the profession, especially among undercompensated patient care workers (Silver et al., 2020).
For more information, visit the DOL’s “About the Good Jobs Initiative” page: https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/about-us
