Good jobs strategies for the workforce system

CLASSIFICATION
  EMPLOYMENT AND TRAINING ADMINISTRATION                WIOA – Adult and Dislocated Worker
              ADVISORY SYSTEM                           Training
         U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR                       CORRESPONDENCE SYMBOL
            Washington, D.C. 20210                      OWI
                                                        DATE
                                                        January 18, 2023

ADVISORY:      TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT GUIDANCE LETTER NO. 07-22

TO:            STATE WORKFORCE AGENCIES
               STATE WORKFORCE ADMINISTRATORS
               STATE WORKFORCE LIAISONS
               STATE AND LOCAL WORKFORCE BOARD CHAIRS AND DIRECTORS
               STATE LABOR COMMISSIONERS
               AMERICAN JOB CENTERS
               STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCIES
               STATE DIRECTORS OF THE OFFICE OF APPRENTICESHIP

FROM:         BRENT PARTON
              Acting Assistant Secretary

SUBJECT:       Increasing Employer and Workforce System Customer Access to Good Jobs

    1. Purpose. This training and employment guidance letter defines the characteristics of a
     good job; explains why job quality is important; and outlines how the workforce system
     should integrate good job strategies into its employer partnerships and workforce
     training.

    2. Action Requested. We strongly encourage State and Local Workforce Development
     Boards (WDBs) and State Workforce Agencies (SWAs) to use the information in this
     guidance to develop a strategy for identifying and creating long-term partnerships with
     employers offering good jobs, and to create strategic, flexible career pathways to good
     jobs that respond to local labor market needs. WDBs and SWAs should also ensure
     individuals from underserved and underrepresented communities have equitable access to
     the services of the workforce system and the jobs created in the economic growth spurred
     by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science
     Act, and other federal investments. WDBs and SWAs should incorporate the Good Jobs
     Principles described below into their Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA)
     strategies, which are documented in state and local plans, annual reports, and quarterly
     narrative reports.

    3. Summary and Background.
  a. Summary — Good jobs are paramount to an equitable labor market and lead to
     community prosperity that aids economic growth. Employers that create and provide
     good jobs have a competitive advantage in hiring and retaining qualified jobseekers that

  RESCISSIONS                                            EXPIRATION DATE
  None                                                   Continuing

        meet their staffing needs. This guidance clarifies the workforce system’s role in
        identifying and promoting good jobs to make the workforce system more equitable and
        responsive to worker and business needs.

    b. Background — The Department of Labor (Department) is prioritizing good jobs in the
       workforce system, through guidance, performance measurement, strategic use of funding
       opportunities, and provision of technical assistance to support good jobs workforce
       strategies.

        Good jobs are the foundation of an equitable economy that lifts workers and families and
        makes businesses more competitive. Equitable economies place attention on the needs of
        workers who have faced and continue to face exclusion, marginalization, and
        discrimination.1 As many employers recognize, providing good jobs creates a clear
        competitive advantage when it comes to employee recruitment, retention, and execution
        of a company’s mission.2

        Job quality expectations are directly related to WIOA; the purpose of WIOA is to help
        people attain economic self-sufficiency, while giving employers opportunities to train,
        hire, and retain workers. WIOA Section 2(3) declares one purpose of the statute is: “To
        improve the quality of the workforce, reduce welfare dependency, increase economic
        self-sufficiency, meet the skill requirements of employers, and enhance the productivity
        and competitiveness of the Nation.” Improving the quality of the workforce and
        increasing economic self-sufficiency calls for jobseekers to secure good jobs with family
        sustaining wages and advancement opportunities. Evidence-based workforce strategies
        such as career pathways and sector strategies, when appropriately designed and
        implemented, can increase the quality of jobs that program participants enter and close
        equity gaps among program participants. The workforce system can design services and
        develop sector partnerships with employers, educators, labor organizations, and
        community partners to create good jobs and well-defined career pathways starting from
        entry-level positions.

        As the economy continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and grow,
        jobseekers are focusing on job quality and career pathways for in-demand occupations.
        Similarly, policymakers at all levels of government are concerned about inequities that
        exist across different occupations and industries. Low-quality work destabilizes workers,
        as well as contributes to underemployment and low labor force participation, all of which
        drags down economic growth and business opportunities. According to a recent Gallup
        report, How COVID-19 Affected the Quality of Work, individuals who reported low job
        quality satisfaction in 2019 were more likely to be laid off, lose wages, or report a further
        decline in job quality in 2020, as compared to those who indicated they had a good job

1
  “Department of Labor Equity Action Plan,” U.S. Department of Labor, (2022),
https://www.dol.gov/general/equity-action-plan/plan.
2
  Ton, Zeynep, “The Case for Good Jobs,” Harvard Business Review (30 November 2017),
https://hbr.org/2017/11/the-case-for-good-jobs.

        before COVID-19. In fact, per the Gallup report, individuals who reported having a low-
        quality job in 2019 experienced a decline in satisfaction across the board in 2020, citing
        concerns about pay, control over hours, job security, worker security, and benefits.3

        Employers benefit from investing in good jobs. Workers with low wages and overall
        dissatisfaction in job quality may be motivated to leave their employers for higher paying
        or more flexible job opportunities.4 Total quits, defined as workers who voluntarily leave
        their place of employment, remain high as the economy continues to rebound. In August
        2022, the preliminary number of total quits was 4.2 million, an increase from pre-
        pandemic levels; in comparison, the number of total quits in August 2019 was 2.9
        million.5 The unemployed persons per job opening ratio is at a historic low — as of
        August 2022, the preliminary number of unemployed persons per job opening was 0.6,
        compared to from 3.3 unemployed persons per job in August 2021.6 Workers can seek
        and are seeking good jobs. In a tight labor market, employers often seek additional ways
        to attract and retain employees, in part because the monetary and time cost of hiring and
        training new individuals is particularly high. According to the Society for Human
        Resource Management, the average cost to an employer of making a new hire was $4,683
        in 2021.7 One way an employer can increase employee retention and labor force
        participation is to intentionally create good jobs.

        One hallmark of a good job is competitive wages. The Pew Research Center found that
        60 percent of workers who moved to a new employer between April 2021 and March
        2022 earned a real wage increase at their new employer.8 However, wages for some
        demographic groups remain far lower than the third quarter 2022 median rate of $1,070
        weekly. Men earned on average $1,164 weekly, while all women earned on average
        $971 weekly. Further, in the third quarter of 2022, the median weekly earnings for Black
        workers were $881, just 83 percent of the median weekly earnings for all workers; Black
        women earned, on average even less, just $830 weekly. Median weekly earnings for
        Hispanic or Latino workers were $861 or 80 percent of the median weekly earnings for

3
  Rothwell, Jonathan and Crabtree, Steve, “How Covid-19 Affected the Quality of Work,” Gallup, (2020),
https://www.gallup.com/education/267590/great-jobs-report.aspx.
4
  “All Urban Consumers (Current Series),” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
https://www.bls.gov/data/home.htm#prices.
5
  “Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: Quits,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (October 2022),
https://www.bls.gov/jlt/data.htm.
6
  “Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: Unemployed Persons per Job Opening,” U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics, (October 2022), https://www.bls.gov/jlt/data.htm.
7
  Miller, Stephen, “SHRM HR Benchmarking Reports Launch as a Free Member-Exclusive Benefit,” SHRM, (April
2022), https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/benefits/pages/shrm-hr-benchmarking-reports-launch-as-a-member-exclusive-benefit.aspx.
8
  Kochhar, Rakesh, Parker, Kim, and Igielnik, Ruth, “Majority of U.S. Workers Changing Jobs are Seeing Real
Wage Gains,” Pew Research Center, (28 July 2022), https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/07/28/majority-of-u-s-workers-changing-jobs-are-seeing-real-wage-gains/.

        all workers, with Hispanic or Latino women earning less—just $782 per week. 9
        Individuals with disabilities, compared to individuals without disabilities, are less likely
        to work in the management and professional occupations associated with higher wages.10
        To address these disparities, it is important for the workforce system not only to prioritize
        good jobs with living wages but to prioritize such outcomes for every segment of its
        population, particularly historically underserved communities. This should include
        reviewing outcomes by race, ethnicity, gender, disability status11, and veteran status, as
        well as intersectional analysis such as examining outcomes for women veterans or people
        of color with disabilities, and then targeting job quality strategies towards workers who
        have not obtained the same employment outcomes as their peers.

        Workers also consider factors in addition to wages when assessing job quality.
        According to Gallup, polled individuals indicated pay, job security, a sense of purpose
        and dignity at work, and day-to-day work enjoyment were key components of a good job.
        Other important factors included employee benefits, stable and predictable hours, worker
        empowerment, career advancement, and control over hours and location. 12

        4. Key Attributes of Good Jobs

        Defining a Good Job — A good job helps workers achieve economic stability and
        mobility, while prioritizing diversity and worker voice. To this end, the Departments of
        Commerce and Labor have jointly identified eight key principles of a good job.13 The
        Department strongly advises state and local workforce boards to integrate these principles
        into their policies, as appropriate. A foundational resource for workforce system
        partners, policymakers, and practitioners is the Department’s Good Jobs Initiative site
        (https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs).

           i. Recruitment and Hiring. Employers that prioritize good jobs are intentional in
              their recruitment and hiring activities. They actively recruit applicants from
              underserved communities, in recruitment drives designed to ensure equal
              opportunity as set forth under applicable nondiscrimination requirements. Further,
              applicants are evaluated using skills-based requirements, which may include
              nontraditional pathways and an emphasis on prior experience. Applicants and
              employees with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations, as

9
  “Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers Third Quarter 2022,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (18
October 2022), https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/wkyeng.pdf.
10
   “Persons with a Disability: Labor Force Characteristics Summary,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (24 February
2022), https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm.
11
   Such reviews may be required per the regulations implementing Section 188 of WIOA. See 29 CFR 38.51(b)(1);
see also 29 CFR 38.4(nnn), 29 CFR 38.41(b)(2).
12
   Rothwell, Jonathan and Crabtree, Steve, “How Covid-19 Affected the Quality of Work,” Gallup, (2020),
https://www.gallup.com/education/267590/great-jobs-report.aspx.
13
   “The Good Jobs Initiative,” U.S. Department of Labor, (2022), https://www.dol.gov/general/good-jobs/principles#:~:text=Diversity%2C%20Equity%2C%20Inclusion%2C%20and,systemic%20barriers%20in%20th
e%20workplace.

                   appropriate. When offering good jobs, employers do not require excessive—as
                   defined by industry and occupational standards—educational, credentialing, and
                   experience requirements.
             ii.   Benefits. Employers that prioritize good jobs provide both full- and part-time
                   workers with family-sustaining benefits. These include, but are not limited to,
                   health insurance, retirement plans, workers’ compensation benefits, equal access to
                   remote and telework work opportunities, and family benefits (such as paid leave
                   and caregiving supports). Further, workers are empowered and encouraged to use
                   those benefits.
            iii.   Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA). All workers in a good
                   job are respected, empowered, and treated fairly. DEIA is a core value in the
                   workplace, and individuals from underserved populations (i.e., those adversely
                   affected by persistent poverty, discrimination, or inequality) must not face systemic
                   barriers to advancement. Workers in a good job also receive any necessary
                   disability accommodation without difficulties or additional barriers.
            iv.    Empowerment and Representation. Workers can form and join unions and can
                   engage in protected activity without fear of retaliation. Workers contribute to
                   decisions about their work and organizational direction. Workers are informed of
                   their rights and ways to resolve any issues that may develop on the job.
             v.    Job Security and Working Conditions. Workers have a safe, healthy, and
                   accessible workplace, built on input from workers and their representatives.
                   Workers have job security without arbitrary or discriminatory discipline or
                   dismissal. Workers also have adequate hours and predictable schedules. Workers
                   are also free from harassment, discrimination, and retaliation at work, including at a
                   minimum complying with EEO regulations. Finally, workers are properly
                   classified under applicable laws; temporary or contractor labor solutions are
                   minimized.
            vi.    Organizational Culture. All workers belong, are valued, contribute meaningfully
                   to the organization, and are respected. This may be facilitated via strategies such as
                   regular feedback sessions where workers can communicate with responsive,
                   engaged leadership, through a transparent Human Resources infrastructure
                   including processes for sharing concerns.
            vii.   Pay. All workers are paid a stable and predictable living wage, as determined by
                   the local area cost of living,14 before overtime, tips, and commissions. Workers’
                   pay is fair, transparent, and equitable (i.e., workers with similar skills and
                   experience are paid the same wage for the same work). Workers’ wages grow
                   commensurate with increased skills and experience.
           viii.   Skills and Career Advancement. Workers have equitable opportunities and tools
                   to progress to future jobs. Workers have transparent promotion or advancement
                   opportunities. Workers have access to high-quality occupational training, such as
                   on-the-job training (OJT), and continuing education opportunities.

14
     “Living Wage Calculator,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology, https://livingwage.mit.edu/.

         Implementation of these Good Jobs Principles should take into account local context and
         other circumstances, such as employer size. This means that, while a good job may not
         necessarily reflect all eight principles equally, an employer interested in providing good
         jobs should demonstrate commitment to and operationalization of these principles. 15 The
         workforce system should continually engage with employers to increase good job
         opportunities and help build partnerships that raise job quality in meaningful ways. The
         system should engage with employers and help them work to create more good jobs no
         matter where they are in terms of integrating the Good Jobs Principles.

         Some work is carried out in a joint employment relationship, where two or more
         employers maintain control over certain aspects of the employee’s day-to-day work. To
         be considered as offering good jobs, any joint employers would maintain workers’ rights,
         set a living wage, and ensure job quality for all employees. For example, when local
         boards are determining wage reimbursement for paid work experience such as Disaster
         Relief Employment, On-the-Job Training, Transitional Jobs, or work experience for
         youth, they would consider whether it is a joint employer relationship and whether those
         employers are following the Good Jobs Principles. Any wage reimbursement, including
         for work carried out in a joint employment relationship, must follow all WIOA
         requirements, including section 181(a)(1)(A), which requires that no WIOA Title I funds
         are used to employ participants at a lower compensation rate than the employer’s other
         similarly situated employees, among other requirements. The Department is available to
         provide technical assistance regarding how to consider joint employer relationships when
         developing good jobs strategies.

         Some of the features of a good job may change based on worker needs. Youth, for
         instance, may need different types of jobs than do adults. For example, a good job may
         be one that gives the youth the work experience needed to enter the full-time labor
         market at a higher wage, as well as promotes career exploration opportunities, critical
         work-readiness, foundational learning, and occupational skill attainment, while
         continuing to prioritize educational credentials. Further, many youth workers have
         dependents, need to pay their complete cost of living, or have other responsibilities,
         making them more likely to need a job that pays a living wage and provides benefits, in
         addition to these other elements. All work experiences for youth should include
         opportunities for advancement along a career pathway, are based on the youth’s
         individual plan or service strategy and adjust to meet their individual circumstances and
         needs. Similarly, some adults may seek part time work, due to health needs or other
         circumstances. While they may not be full-time workers, employers should not
         compromise job quality for these individuals. The Guideposts for Success: Framework
         for the Future16 provides policymakers and administrators a helpful construct that ensures

15
   It is important to note that aspects of the principles, such as those requiring nondiscrimination, equal opportunity
and accessibility for individuals with disabilities, are mandated by law. While demonstration of these requirements
may be improved, a minimum standard of compliance is expected.
16
   Institute for Educational Leadership, “The Guideposts for Success,” (2021), https://iel.org/the-guideposts-for-success/.

the comprehensive delivery of programs and services that contribute to post-school
employment and career success for youth and young adults, including those with
disabilities. Multiple federal agencies and numerous service organizations use the
Guideposts to help young people prepare for a career.

Embedding Good Jobs Principles into Workforce Development — As states and local
areas work towards embedding job quality principles into ongoing workforce
development activities, tailored to the economy and community they serve, it will be
important for workforce system program staff to be knowledgeable about these Good
Jobs Principles, so they can empower workers and employer customers to prioritize job
quality.

Below are some techniques the workforce system should implement to ensure job quality
discussions are occurring with jobseekers, exiters, and potential employers. This is not
an exhaustive list of ways the workforce system can integrate the Good Jobs Principles
into its services.

Services to Jobseekers, Workers, and Employers

   •   Train jobseekers about good jobs. WIOA program staff, grantees, and
       workforce development partners can help individuals identify quality employment
       opportunities, understand and navigate benefit options, negotiate pay, and
       understand their workers’ rights and where and how to seek recourse when those
       rights are violated. AJC workforce programs may also help jobseekers and
       workers find information about the quality of jobs within an industry, within
       specific occupations, or with respect to jobs of an individual employer.

   •   Embed good job discussions in all career services. To improve employment
       outcomes for program participants, AJC staff should include discussions about
       job quality as a component of career services. For instance, quality career
       counseling includes discussions of good job characteristics such as pay, benefits,
       and career advancement into any career pathways discussion, individualized
       employment plan, or individualized service strategy. Such discussion is useful at
       any point in a jobseeker’s career.

       For example, workforce development practitioners and other youth workforce
       development practitioners should work with youth to ensure they are connected to
       the appropriate work experience or employment opportunity for them, e.g., work
       experiences that prepare them for a high-wage job, a pre-apprenticeship, or living
       wage work. Additionally, workforce development practitioners should ensure
       that women are presented with all employment and training opportunities,
       including in non-traditional sectors for women. If a participant is already
       employed but could benefit from better pay and working conditions, AJC and
       grantee staff can help that individual identify and pursue alternate good job
       opportunities such as through a Registered Apprenticeship or find training

                 programs convenient for working adults and offer supportive services during
                 training to aid their progress into higher-paying or otherwise good jobs.

             •   Ensure jobseekers access needed supportive services to attend necessary
                 training that will lead to a good job. AJC program staff should help connect
                 participants to the supportive services they need to complete training or a
                 Registered Apprenticeship—such as transportation, childcare, and housing
                 support—whether via WIOA or a partner program. This is particularly important
                 to help vulnerable individuals stay in a training program or Registered
                 Apprenticeship, rather than taking a lower-quality job or multiple jobs simply to
                 make ends meet.

             •   Collect data about job quality for program exiters. Workforce grantees can
                 also collect quality information through follow-up conversations and feedback
                 processes for participants post-employment, to share their experiences once on the
                 job such as the employer’s benefits, pay, and workers’ perceptions of worker
                 empowerment, potential career growth with the employer, and compliance with
                 equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws and guidelines. Grantees or the
                 local WDB may choose to collect this feedback as a component of their
                 participant follow-up services or customer satisfaction surveys.

        Services to Employers

             •   Highlight job quality as a recruitment and retention strategy. WIOA program
                 staff and workforce grantees can also incorporate job quality into services for
                 businesses, particularly for smaller or medium sized employers that look to AJCs
                 for recruitment and retention strategies. When examining new ways of increasing
                 labor force participation, hiring, and retaining employees, an easy first step is a
                 comparison of the cost of turnover versus the cost of increased wages or benefits.
                 The Aspen Institute has created a helpful cost of turnover tool, which provides a
                 framework for employers to calculate the total cost of replacing workers,
                 including both direct and indirect costs of employee separation.17 This cost
                 analysis makes the case for investing in workers, whether directly through pay or
                 via training programs and professional development.

             •   Assist employers in implementing Good Jobs Principles. Business services
                 representatives can help employers attract and retain talent through becoming a
                 Registered Apprenticeship sponsor, exploring pay scale adjustments and benefit
                 options, and providing training on responsibilities for worker safety and health,
                 preventing and addressing harassment in the workplace, and promoting equal
                 opportunity for all. The local WDB and its employers may also choose to create a
                 subcommittee that focuses on fostering the Good Jobs Principles.

17
  The Aspen Institute, “Cost of Turnover Tool,” (March 2019), https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cost-of-Turnover-Tool.pdf.

             •   Work closely with local industry associations and employer groups. Local
                 WDBs working to embed job quality can also partner with industry associations
                 to test good job metrics and expand evidence-based strategies to support job
                 quality. Interested employers or industry associations can use tools such as the
                 Good Jobs Scorecard18 and U.S. Department of Commerce Job Quality Toolkit19
                 to self-assess and find opportunities to enhance the quality of their jobs.

        Leveraging Good Jobs Career Pathways and Sector Strategies

        An effective good job strategy also entails engaging a group of employers through sector-
        based partnerships to invest in high quality career pathways that take workers from entry-
        level to more senior level positions characterized throughout by good job quality. Below
        are some methods LDBs and SWAs can leverage to ensure they are creating and
        supporting successful career pathways in local growth sectors.

             •   Create partnerships for success. Successful career pathways in local growth
                 sectors involve an infrastructure of partners, including employers, industry
                 associations, community colleges and other educators, unions and other training
                 providers, worker centers and other worker voice advocates, community-based
                 organizations, and supportive service providers.

             •   Use data to identify growth opportunities. The workforce system can leverage
                 labor market information (LMI) to identify which industries have long-term
                 growth and stability potential for workers. Within those industries, the workforce
                 system can identify in demand and forecasted growth occupations, and the
                 relative quality of these jobs, as well as the requisite certifications and training
                 providers who can help a participant to secure a good job in the industry of their
                 choice.

                 Additionally, state and local LMI analysts can use the Department’s Career
                 Trajectories and Occupational Transitions (CTOT) Dashboard to help identify
                 quality job pathways in their area.20 The CTOT dashboard is an interactive tool
                 that allows users to explore data on how workers in mid-level occupations move
                 through jobs and occupational clusters. It identifies potential “launchpad”
                 occupations, which are associated with higher wage growth. This tool can be
                 used in tandem with state longitudinal data to inform career guidance, including
                 for youth.

18
   Good Jobs Institute, “Good Jobs Scorecard,” https://goodjobsinstitute.org/good-jobs-scorecard/.
19
   U.S. Department of Commerce, “Job Quality Toolkit,” https://www.commerce.gov/work-us/job-quality-toolkit.
20
   “Career Trajectories and Occupational Transitions Dashboard,” U.S. Department of Labor, (2022),
https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasp/evaluation/resources/career-trajectories-and-occupational-transitions-dashboard.

            •    Develop a good jobs infrastructure by creating a robust high road sector
                 strategy. High road sector strategies bring together employers, workers, and
                 worker organizations such as labor unions and training entities to create
                 partnerships that support good jobs, equity, and environmental sustainability.
                 This partnership model promotes systems change and leverages worker voice to
                 build an economy based on equity, skills, innovation, and shared prosperity. The
                 resulting jobs provide family-supporting benefits, worker voice, transparency,
                 livable and fair wages, and training opportunities for worker growth.21 A state or
                 local area can identify priority industries using LMI and invite employers with
                 good job practices as a partner in the high road sector partnership. These sector
                 partnerships do not just provide good jobs; they also recognize employers,
                 workers, and worker organizations as industry experts and work to harness that
                 expertise. The workforce system can create formal sector partnerships with those
                 employers, as well as unions and other training providers, including labor
                 management partnerships, to address and remedy employer challenges and help
                 employers to continually improve job quality.

                 A state can support a high road partnership by providing grant funding to
                 localities to develop these partnerships, which can then be scaled across the state.
                 California has a statewide High Road Training Partnerships initiative, funded by
                 state appropriations and WIOA statewide funds, that can serve as a blueprint for
                 other SWAs and localities interested in implementing a high road employer
                 program.22

                 Workforce boards and other grantees can also support other employers who wish
                 to join the high road partnership by helping them to build career pathways that
                 prioritize quality, sustainable jobs. Such boards may choose to create a business
                 mentorship program, wherein employers in the high road partnership work with
                 other employers who hope to create more good job opportunities. These mentors
                 can help connect employers to employee training programs, low-cost benefits, or
                 untapped labor markets, as well as to navigate other concerns the employer may
                 have with developing good jobs.

        Developing a Good Jobs Framework — Local WDBs can create a holistic framework
        to better define good jobs locally and ensure job quality is a top priority for both
        employers and jobseekers. A good jobs framework should reflect the eight principles and
        provide both employers and jobseekers with standards for evaluating quality. Local
        board members can also serve as model employers by incorporating a framework into
        their own businesses, demonstrating how the eight principles work in practice. Jobs For

21
   “The High-Road Workplace: Route to a Sustainable Economy,” American Sustainable Business Council, (2017),
https://www.asbcouncil.org/sites/main/files/file-attachments/asbc_building_the_high_road_report_2017.pdf.
22
   “High Road,” California Workforce Development Board, (June 2018), https://cwdb.ca.gov/initiatives/high-road-training-partnerships/.

        the Future, 23 the San Diego Workforce Partnership,24 the Good Jobs Institute,25 and the
        National Fund for Workforce Solutions26 each has a robust framework that can serve as a
        baseline for state or local WDBs who choose to develop a formal tool.

        A job quality continuum (see Attachment I and suggested references) is a type of
        framework that allows the workforce system and employer partners to visualize a good
        job. A continuum shows how an employer can progress from providing the basic job
        necessities to creating good jobs that promote employee well-being and retention. A
        continuum identifies if and how employers provide good jobs, which include basic job
        necessities, opportunities for career development and training, and intentional support for
        worker empowerment and voice. A continuum allows workers, employers, and career
        counselors to visualize job quality and better define where an employer may need to
        invest in changes for its long-term growth and market competitiveness.

        The local workforce system can use a continuum to evaluate employer partners, as well
        as to empower workers to make choices about job quality. For example, an employer can
        use the continuum to identify opportunity areas to increase job quality and better attract
        and retain workers. This employer may provide the basic elements of a good job but
        struggle to provide career supports. The workforce system can work with the employer
        to develop incumbent worker training, apprenticeship, or OJT programs, for example, to
        develop a stronger, more formalized career support framework. If an employer does not
        provide the requisite worker supports to be considered a good employer and does not
        choose to improve in that area, the WDB is strongly encouraged and advised to prioritize
        its OJT contracts and partnerships with employers that create and offer good jobs.
        Likewise, a WIOA Adult, Dislocated Worker, or Youth program participant may be in a
        job that provides the necessities, like basic pay or benefits as highlighted in the
        continuum but does not have any career supports or worker empowerment methods in
        place. The AJC business engagement staff can provide customized tips, tools, and other
        resources to assist the employer with pivoting to offering good jobs and creating a quality
        workplace.

        Assessing Job Quality — SWAs can work with their local areas to measure success in
        placing individuals in good jobs, partnering with employers that prioritize good jobs, and
        developing pathways to good careers in growth industries. In addition to the equal
        opportunity data collection requirements set forth in 29 CFR § 38.4, WIOA measures,
        such as earnings after exit, skill gains, and credential attainment, may be a good starting
        point for this measurement. As more participants attain good jobs with higher wages,
        WIOA Median Earnings should increase for participants. Further, as SWAs and local

23
   “Together We Can Help Employers Create Quality Jobs,” Jobs For the Future, (1 September 2022),
https://www.jff.org/points-of-view/raise-job-quality-good-jobs-framework/.
24
   “How to Build Job Quality into Your Workforce Development Approach,” San Diego Workforce Partnership,
(2021), https://workforce.org/job-quality-wkdev-guide/.
25
   “What is a “Good” Job?,” Good Jobs Institute, (2022), https://goodjobsinstitute.org/what-is-a-good-job/.
26
    “Job Design Framework,” National Fund for Workforce Solutions, https://nationalfund.org/job-design-framework/.

   boards develop career pathways with employer partners that prioritize good jobs, and as
   participants increase their skill levels through training or education, SWAs could expect
   to see increases in the WIOA Measurable Skill Gains (MSG) and Credential Attainment
   outcomes for participants. A successful career pathway means participants gain skills
   and earn credentials, receive opportunities for advancement, and obtain wage increases
   along the career pathways through skill upgrades. To fully assess job quality, local
   boards or SWAs should measure the types of jobs, working conditions, benefits, starting
   salaries, salary growth for individuals across several years, salary equity, DEIA
   (including demographic group representation), and other quality metrics—as defined in a
   job quality framework or continuum—of the employers where participants are employed
   during and after program exit to determine whether job quality goals are being met.
   LDBs may also choose to include questions about job quality on post exit surveys,
   including questions about job satisfaction. SWAs and LDBs may add quality metrics to
   their Eligible Training Provider list requirements as well, via Governor approval.

   Local boards or SWAs should to the greatest extent possible disaggregate job quality
   metrics by gender, race, ethnicity, disability status, veteran status, and other salient
   worker characteristics to analyze the equity of their programs. Some example metrics
   could include information on how historically underserved populations are engaged in a
   program, such as more women and minorities in apprenticeship, or how a program
   performs for underserved populations in employment outcome metrics.

   The Department requests that grantees share good jobs strategies, efforts, and results in
   discretionary grant quarterly narrative reports and annual formula narrative performance
   reports.

5. Inquiries. For further information, please reach out to the appropriate Regional Office.

6. References. See Attachment II.

7. Attachments.
   • Attachment I: Sample Job Quality Continuum
   • Attachment II: References

                        Attachment I: Sample Job Quality Continuum

This provides an example of a skeleton job quality continuum SWAs and LDBs can build upon
for their own efforts. This represents the components of a good job, including what is necessary
for a worker to have basic dignity; what career supports help a worker to grow their skills and
climb a career pathway; and what worker empowerment opportunities can be embedded into
businesses to ensure worker voice is heard and respected. The details of each bullet can change
based on local factors, but the broad components of each should exist for a job to be considered a
good job.

                          Attachment II: References

•   “All Urban Consumers (Current Series),” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
    https://www.bls.gov/data/home.htm#prices.
•   “Career Trajectories and Occupational Transitions Dashboard,” U.S. Department of
    Labor, (2022), https://www.dol.gov/agencies/oasp/evaluation/resources/career-
    trajectories-and-occupational-transitions-dashboard.
•   “Cost of Turnover Tool,” The Aspen Institute, (March 2019),
    https://www.aspeninstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Cost-of-Turnover-
    Tool.pdf.
•   “Department of Labor Equity Action Plan,” U.S. Department of Labor, (2022),
    https://www.dol.gov/general/equity-action-plan/plan.
•   Good Jobs Institute, “Good Jobs Scorecard,” https://goodjobsinstitute.org/good-jobs-
    scorecard/.
•   “High Road,” California Workforce Development Board, (June 2018),
    https://cwdb.ca.gov/initiatives/high-road-training-partnerships/.
•   “How to Build Job Quality into Your Workforce Development Approach,” San Diego
    Workforce Partnership, (2021), https://workforce.org/job-quality-wkdev-guide/.
•   Institute for Educational Leadership, “The Guideposts for Success,” (2021),
    https://iel.org/the-guideposts-for-success/.
•   “Job Design Framework,” National Fund for Workforce Solutions,
    https://nationalfund.org/job-design-framework/.
•   “Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: Quits,” U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics,
    (October 2022), https://www.bls.gov/jlt/data.htm.
•   “Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey: Unemployed Persons per Job Opening,”
    U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, (October 2022), https://www.bls.gov/jlt/data.htm.
•   Kochhar, Rakesh, Parker, Kim, and Igielnik, Ruth, “Majority of U.S. Workers
    Changing Jobs are Seeing Real Wage Gains,” Pew Research Center, (28 July 2022),
    https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/07/28/majority-of-u-s-workers-
    changing-jobs-are-seeing-real-wage-gains/.
•   “Living Wage Calculator,” Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
    https://livingwage.mit.edu/.
•   Miller, Stephen. “SHRM HR Benchmarking Reports Launch as a Free Member-
    Exclusive Benefit,” SHRM, (April 2022), https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-
    topics/benefits/pages/shrm-hr-benchmarking-reports-launch-as-a-member-exclusive-
    benefit.aspx.
•   Rothwell, Jonathan and Crabtree, Steve, “How Covid-19 Affected the Quality of
    Work,” Gallup, (2020), https://www.gallup.com/education/267590/great-jobs-
    report.aspx.
•   “The Good Jobs Initiative,” U.S. Department of Labor, (2022),
    https://www.dol.gov/general/good-
    jobs/principles#:~:text=Diversity%2C%20Equity%2C%20Inclusion%2C%20and,syst
    emic%20barriers%20in%20the%20workplace.

•   “The High-Road Workplace: Route to a Sustainable Economy,” American
    Sustainable Business Council, (2017),
    https://www.asbcouncil.org/sites/main/files/file-
    attachments/asbc_building_the_high_road_report_2017.pdf.
•   “Together We Can Help Employers Create Quality Jobs,” Jobs For the Future, (1
    September 2022), https://www.jff.org/points-of-view/raise-job-quality-good-jobs-
    framework/.
•   Ton, Zeynep, “The Case for Good Jobs,” Harvard Business Review (30 November
    2017), https://hbr.org/2017/11/the-case-for-good-jobs.
•   U.S. Department of Commerce, “Job Quality Toolkit,”
    https://www.commerce.gov/work-us/job-quality-toolkit.
•   “Usual Weekly Earnings of Wage and Salary Workers Third Quarter 2022,” U.S.
    Bureau of Labor Statistics, (18 October 2022),
    https://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/wkyeng.pdf.
•   “What is a ‘Good’ Job?,” Good Jobs Institute, https://goodjobsinstitute.org/what-is-a-
    good-job/.
•   Ziegler, Jessica, “Sector Strategies: Aligning the Skills of the Workforce with the
    Needs of Employers,” Mathematica Policy Research, (November 2015),
    https://wdr.doleta.gov/research/FullText_Documents/ETAOP-2016-
    05_Sector%20Strategies%20-
    %20Aligning%20the%20Skills%20of%20the%20Workforce%20with%20the%20Ne
    eds%20of%20Employers.pdf.