Background/Archive — Good Companies/Good Jobs

Founded in 2017, the Aspen Institute Good Companies/Good Jobs (GCGJ) initiative equips companies to empower economic opportunity across the US through a key lever: good jobs.

Good jobs are essential for healthy communities, strong local economies, thriving businesses, and individual and family well-being. Yet less than half of US workers are in good jobs. Specifically, only 44% of working people in the US report having a “good job” according to Gallup.

Tackling this challenge, GCGJ creates job quality tools, conducts research, develops and advises innovative pilots, and leads case studies focusing on job quality across diverse industries. This work aims to elevate how companies can create shared value that simultaneously improves outcomes for their workforce, their business, and the communities they serve.

GCGJ also has a role as a convener: We facilitate dialogues among cross-sector leaders and stakeholders; link and support leaders as they implement short and long-term strategies that advance more good jobs across the US; and shine a spotlight on successful practices and models.

GCGJ is an initiative of the Institute’s Economic Opportunities Program, which advances strategies, policies, and ideas to help low- and moderate-income people thrive in a changing economy.

This page features background/archival material from the GCGJ’s beginnings. Click here to return to our homepage.