Improving the quality of low‐wage work: The current American experience

Abstract

Abstract. Despite the recent strength of the United States job market, about one fifth of the private‐sector workforce is in poor‐quality employment, earning poverty‐level wages or less, with scant prospects for improvement. Against this background, the article focuses on demand‐side policies, aimed at influencing firms' decision‐making in the direction of better quality employment. Describing and evaluating a variety of programmes pursued to that end, the author argues for more policy coherence and a balanced approach combining training and economic development programmes working directly with employers, on the one hand, and increased unionization and better wage and working‐time standards, on the other.