U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Sec. Marty Walsh attended a panel discussion with several business leaders May 13 to talk about how investing in job quality improves the recruitment and retention of talented workers, the DOL announced at the time.
The discussion centered on the DOL's "Good Jobs Initiative (GJI): The Business Case for Good Jobs," the announcement reports. The GJI, announced in January, assists businesses with creating and sustaining jobs that attract and keep workers, especially in lower-wage industries, according to the DOL.
"We want to identify solutions we can share, that move workers and businesses forward together," Sec. Walsh said at the event. "That’s what the Good Jobs Initiative is all about. It’s a collaborative effort to improve job quality – and job equity – across our economy."
Employers can strengthen their workforces by providing what the DOL called "critical benefits," including higher wages, care-giving support, scheduling flexibility and job training, the report states. The GJI supports workers and employers with information on workers' rights, employer-employee collaborations on improving job quality and advancement opportunities, and accessing federal contracts, grants and other opportunities, according to the DOL.
“Across the board, many workers are looking for opportunities to learn new skills and start new careers," Sec. Walsh said at the discussion, "and we are seeing the greatest movement in industries with the lowest wages and workers who are disproportionately women, people of color and immigrants.
"We need to look at how more of those jobs can become careers, and make sure everyone has a pathway to the middle class."
