Measuring Job Quality: Current Measures, Gaps, and New Approaches

This report reviews the current state of data on and measurement of job quality in the United States and what the literature suggests a more complete set of job quality measures might include, as well as potential approaches to improving measurement. Standard survey and administrative measures characterizing jobs currently focus on measures of wages, hours, and certain benefits, and detailed metrics are typically missing on scheduling, other nonwage benefits, workplace culture, job design, forward prospects, and other nonmonetary job elements. The report identifies prospects for gathering more complete data on job quality and how these data would be helpful for researchers and policymakers trying to better understand, and ultimately improve, worker well-being, mobility, and equity.