Key Points
- A majority of American workers say that having the flexibility to balance their work and personal lives is one of most important or a very important consideration when choosing a job.
- The knowledge economy leads the way in compensating workers both monetarily and non-monetarily.
- Despite rising to prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic, remote work is a top priority when choosing a job for just 35 percent of American workers.
- Almost one-fifth of all currently employed Americans do some form of gig work. The most popular gig sectors are delivering food (31 percent), renting a home or property (30 percent), and driving for a rideshare company (25 percent).
Executive Summary
The relationship between economic and noneconomic aspects of work is complex and dynamic. Work serves as not only a means (money) to an end (self-sufficiency) but also a source of social connection, personal fulfillment, and a sense of purpose. In work, Americans find mentors, friends, and even spouses. Work, in short, can be thought of as an expression of our social nature, not just our economic need.
This report is the second of three AEI reports reconsidering the social aspects of work. In our first report, The Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America, we explored how outdated assumptions have led many to believe that men are more likely to be careerists; our data revealed that college-educated women are actually the most likely to invest deeply in their workplace, creating and benefiting the most from the nonmonetary rewards found there.1 Noncollege-educated men, on the other side of this spectrum, are the least likely to feel personally and professionally engaged at work.
In this report, we examine what Americans expect from work, whether they are getting what they say they need, and what factors play into their workplace priorities—specifically, the relationship between financial considerations, such as pay and benefits, and noneconomic workplace needs like mentoring and connections to supervisors. Our final report will center on the results from in-depth interviews conducted with survey participants to examine men’s and women’s relationships with their jobs on an individual level.
Notes
1. Brent Orrell, Daniel A. Cox, and Jessie Wall, The Social Workplace: Social Capital, Human Dignity, and Work in America, October 25, 2022, AEI Survey Center on American Life, https://www.americansurveycenter.org/research/the-social-workplacesocial-capital-human-dignity-and-work-in-america.
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