Good jobs as a share of total employment, all workers and by gender, and output per worker, selected years, 1979–2010

Note: See figure notes for definition of good jobs.

Source: Authors' analysis of Schmitt and Jones (2012) and unpublished Total Economy Productivity data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Productivity and Costs program

Documentation and methodology

Good jobs shares are from Schmitt and Jones (2012), and output per worker is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Labor Productivity and Costs program (unpublished Total Economy Productivity data provided to the authors upon request). Good jobs are defined as those that pay at least $18.50 per hour (the median male hourly wage in 1979 adjusted to 2010 dollars), have employer-provided health insurance where the employer pays at least some of the premium, and an employer-sponsored pension plan, including 401(k) and similar defined-contribution plans.