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‘Good jobs’ comprise almost half of all job growth since 2010

August 17, 2015

Despite reports of low-wage jobs dominating since the recovery began in 2010, the largest job growth has come from “good jobs,” according to a new study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce.

The report, “Good Jobs Are Back: College Graduates Are First in Line,” found the economy added 6.6 million jobs since 2010, that includes 2.9 million which were “good jobs.” These jobs paid more than $53,000, tended to be full time, and provided health insurance and retirement plans. In addition to the 2.9 million good jobs created, the economy also created 1.9 million middle-wage jobs and 1.8 million low-wage jobs.

“This has been a weak recovery, but the American job machine is working again for college graduates,” said Anthony Carnevale, the center’s director and the report’s lead author.

The majority of good jobs added during the recovery were in managerial at 1.8 million jobs. STEM occupations and healthcare professional occupations followed at 880,000 jobs and 445,000 jobs respectively. Among the middle-wage jobs tier, occupations that make up the blue-collar cluster gained the most jobs at 860,000. Among the low-wage jobs tier, food, personal services and sales and office support occupations added the most jobs during the recovery 1.05 million.

Both good jobs and low-wage jobs have recovered all recession job losses. However, researchers found middle-wage jobs have not fully recovered: in spite of the 1.9 million jobs added in the recovery, middle-wage jobs remain 900,000 jobs below their pre-recession employment level.

The Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce is an independent, nonprofit research and policy institute that studies the link between individual goals, education and training curricula, and career pathways. The center is affiliated with the Georgetown McCourt School of Public Policy.