The declining quality of jobs has emerged as a key challenge for researchers and
policymakers in the twenty-first century. The growing realization that the quality of jobs is
central to addressing a myriad of social and economic problems—such as economic
development, family formation and social integration, poverty and inequality, and individual
well-being—has put this age-old topic on the front burner for social scientists in the United
States and around the world. This essay offers our perspective on the job quality problem …