At a time of record low unemployment, the problem we now face is not that people don’t have work, but that they don’t have good work. As the economy booms, low wages, limited benefits, and insecure employment are still the reality for many working people. What will it take to make sure everyone in the United States has quality jobs?
The Aspen Institute and Urban Institute have been exploring this issue through different vantage points, to better understand the challenges that we face and the implications for policies and practices that improve job quality. And while the issue of quality jobs is one of national importance, solutions also need to respond to the needs of different places and communities across the country and be inclusive of all, regardless of race, gender, or other factors. Governments at all levels, businesses, civic, labor, and community organizations and more, all have roles to play in addressing the need for quality work.
What do we know and what do we need to know so that we can build a world of work in which hard work truly does lead to a dignified living? This conversation will bring together different experiences and perspectives to explore this question. We’ll be featuring a senior researcher from the Urban Institute together with Aspen Institute Job Quality Fellows from business, community development finance, and workforce and policy development who are working to create quality jobs in their communities.
Opening remarks:
Sarah Keh
Vice President, Corporate Social Responsibility, Prudential Financial
Speakers:
Amanda BlondeauAmanda Blondeau
Business Services Director, Northern Initiatives
Demetra Nightingale
Institute Fellow, Urban Institute
Rick Plympton
CEO, Optimax Systems
Caryn York
Executive Director, Job Opportunities Task Force
Join the conversation on Twitter by following us on Twitter (
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https://twitter.com/urbaninstitute) and tweeting with the hashtag #talkgoodjobs.
Learn more:
For more information about this event, visit
http://as.pn/qualityjobs.
This event is part of the Working in America series, an ongoing discussion series hosted by the Aspen Institute Economic Opportunities Program that highlights an array of critical issues affecting low- and moderate-income workers in the United States and ideas for improving and expanding economic opportunities for working people. We are grateful to the Ford Foundation, Prudential Financial, and the Walmart Foundation for their support of this series. For more information, visit
http://as.pn/workinginamerica.
Learn how the Economic Opportunities Program is helping low- and moderate-income Americans connect to and thrive in a changing economy. Follow us on social media at
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