Biden Administration Outlines Principles That Define What Constitutes A “Good Job”

Last week, the U.S. Department of Labor and the U.S. Department of Commerce announced outlined eight principles that define what the federal government considers a “good job.”

The principles, which do not have the force of law and merely provide guidance to employers, are:

• Recruitment and hiring;
• Diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, or DEIA;
• Empowerment and representation, or the ability to unionize;
• Job security and working conditions;
• Organizational culture;
• Pay and benefits; and
• Skills and career advancement.

The two agencies said these principles are meant as “a framework for workers, businesses, labor unions, advocates, researchers, state and local governments, and federal agencies for a shared vision of job quality,” including when it comes to the implementation of the bipartisan infrastructure spending bill that Congress approved and President Joe Biden signed into law last fall.

The principles are part of the Biden administration’s “Good Jobs” initiative, which was launched in January 2022. The goal of this programs is to “organize and direct federal government tools and resources toward the goal of promoting good jobs for all workers.” Read more about the initiative here.