A majority of Americans have low-quality jobs

Only about four in 10 American workers say that they have a decent job, finds a new survey on job quality from Gallup out Thursday.

Why it matters: Bad jobs aren't just a misery for employees — for companies, they're linked to costly turnover and higher health care expenses.

Zoom in: Gallup defines a quality job as one that meets minimum standards across a few dimensions: fair pay and benefits; a safe and respectful workplace free from harassment and discrimination; and a predictable schedule.

Gallup surveyed 17,874 employed adults ages 18 to 75 from Jan. 26 - March 24.

By the numbers: This year, 41% of workers meet Gallup's standards for a quality job, unchanged from 2025.

Older workers and those with advanced degrees are more likely to have a good job.

Those with low-quality jobs were nearly twice as likely to work for a different employer after one year.

And 51% of those with higher-quality jobs report better health, compared with 35% in non-quality jobs.

The big picture: This is the second year the Gallup, Jobs for the Future and The Families and Workers Fund has released its American Job Quality study and it comes at a turbulent time for workers.

While at a high level, the labor market looks good — with low unemployment and few layoffs — hiring rates are down. If you don't have a job, it's hard to land one, a particularly vexing problem for new grads.

Between the lines: This is partly an AI issue.

A good number of employers are looking to see if they can do more with fewer workers, as they incorporate AI into their workflows, HR executives and workplace experts said at an event hosted by Charter this week.

The twist: AI use is more common in the better jobs typically held by college grads, per Gallup. Those are the workers stressed that AI will replace them.

The bottom line: Most Americans are working in low-quality jobs — and those with a good job worry about AI taking it away.

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