As American workers continue to look for work, here during during the Mega JobNewsUSA South Florida Job Fair in September, a new report finds that 60% of those already employed don’t hold “quality” jobs. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
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A new workplace report is saying the quiet part out loud—most Americans do not hold quality jobs. Only 40% of U.S. workers hold roles that provide financial well-being, a voice in workplace decisions and opportunities for growth at safe and respectful workplaces where they hold some control over their work, according to the study led by Gallup.
“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,” says Maria Flynn, president and CEO of Jobs for the Future, which also worked on the study. “Even when the economy was doing well, you’d hear about workers being discouraged and disillusioned.”
Quality was described by five different components: financial well-being; workplace culture and safety; growth and development opportunities; agency and voice; and work structure and autonomy. A role must meet the minimum threshold of at least three of the categories to be considered a quality job.
The study, a collaboration between Gallup, Jobs for the Future, The Families & Workers Fund and the W.E. Upjohn Institute for employment research, surveyed 18,429 U.S. adults aged 18 to 75 who worked for pay in the prior seven days. It was conducted between January 13 and February 25 this year, and is the first survey of this size to put these measures of employee experience together.
While this is the first report at this scale, it’s not the first time economists have warned about the state of the American workforce. Mid-year Gallup polling showed that only 32% of employees are engaged at work, slightly up from a 10-year low in January. And the impact on business outcomes is real. Another Gallup study found that companies with engaged workforces have higher earnings per share, not to mention higher employee retention and thus lower talent acquisition costs.
Such findings come at a time when the labor market has stalled. Only 22,000 jobs were added in August, the last full month for which the government has released data, due to the shutdown, and quit rates that month fell to 1.9%, the lowest since November 2024. “Job hugging” has become the cliche du dour among workplace experts as employees hold on to their jobs and employers reconsider hiring plans.
“It feels like we’re at a breaking point when you look at any of those statistics individually,” says Pete Stavros, co-head of global private equity at KKR, who previewed the data early.
Focusing on the quality of jobs may explain why both workers and employers feel such a breaking point, especially when it comes to low worker engagement and satisfaction scores. While the report does not account for differences between ideal work environments, which vary across industries, roles and individuals, the five dimensions can be applied to all kinds of jobs, from knowledge to frontline workers.
For each dimension, researchers compared specific quantitative measures as part of their quality evaluation. Financial well-being, for example, measures stable employment, workplace benefits and fair pay, defined as workers earning more than 300% of the federal poverty level for a family of two ($5,287.50 per month.)
Beyond pay, workplace experience is key to quality jobs. Having agency over work, whether it be in scheduling, in-office presence or even work alignment to the company’s mission, has become one of the most important measures, especially for GenZ. It could explain the difference in quality jobs among W2 and non-W2 workers—39% of all full-time and part-time W2 employees hold quality jobs, while 46% of non-W2 workers (meaning those working as independent contractors, or who are self-employed or informal workers).. “It says a lot about how much workers value flexibility and being able to design a work schedule that works for them,” says Flynn.
American workers are also increasingly prioritizing career advancement and growth opportunities within their jobs, especially as AI threatens to eliminate roles. The report found that 45% of employees who participated in employer-provided training, like upskilling programs or mentorship opportunities, and education are highly satisfied with their job, while only 27% of those that did not participate are.
So while there are positive results from workers that do have quality jobs, the reality is much different for the 60% of workers that don’t. “This is everything that lots of everyday Americans experience and know to be the truth, which is there’s a lack of good jobs,” adds Stavros.