Employment
Employment is often necessary for one to have basic needs met, and meaningful employment can increase feelings of well-being and purpose. Employment contributes to the overall health and well-being of individuals by addressing financial security, promoting physical and mental health, fostering social connections, and supporting personal development and fulfillment. Over 158 million Americans are employed. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), unemployed individuals are more likely to experience higher levels of stress, anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders. Employment in the United States has been shaped by a range of historical contexts and events, including the labor movement, the Great Depression, globalization, technological advancements, the Great Recession, and, more recently, COVID-19. Decades of discrimination in the workforce have created vast disparities in job opportunities, quality, and compensation, resulting in uneven impacts on worker health.
Today, the employment landscape is once again in flux due to technological advancements and automation, COVID-19 and related recovery, remote and flexible work, and the Gig economy and freelancing. There are significant employment disparities and inequities. Black and Latinx workers hold disproportionately low-paying and “essential” jobs and were more likely to feel the negative effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing these disparities requires comprehensive efforts, including policies promoting equal opportunity, inclusive workplaces, anti-discrimination measures, educational equity, and targeted support for marginalized communities. Promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in employment can help create a more just and equitable labor market.
Local communities and changemakers can influence employment in a variety of ways including:
Support for marginalized populations who often face employment barriers
Promote just economic development by fostering investment and innovation, diversifying industries, and creating a resilient labor market
Advocating for fair labor practices, equal employment opportunities, workforce development programs, and funding
Building social cohesion and connection to help connect diverse job seekers with opportunities
Employment is a key aspect of the Vital Condition for Well-Being, Meaningful Work & Wealth. Read more about this Vital Condition here.
Resources & Tools
Grade Retention: A Case Study in Cincinnati Public Schools
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 03/01/2013
Mo'omomi Community-Based Subsistence Fishing Area
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 03/31/2016
Georgia Qualified Allocation Plan for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Georgia Health Policy Center
Chukchi Sea Planning Area-Oil and Gas Lease Sale 193 and Seismic Surveying Activities
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2006
Health Note: Unemployment Insurance Changes
Resource - Report
Brought to you by North Carolina Budget and Tax Center
Downtown-Westside Baltimore
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 05/31/2013
City of Sheridan Comprehensive Plan Update
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 05/31/2015
Federal Paid Sick Days
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 08/31/2009
Columbia Transit System Expansion
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 11/30/2012
Muskegon County Jail
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 01/11/2019
Maine Paid Sick Days
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 10/31/2009
Kansas Corporate Farming Law
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 02/28/2015
Atlanta Regional Plan 2040
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/02/2012
Arrest Records in Employment Decisions
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 04/02/2013
Unions Are Not Only Good for Workers, They’re Good for Communities and for Democracy
Resource - Report
Brought to you by EPI
The Layoff and Bumping Process in Cincinnati
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Developing Equitable Enforcement Provisions
Resource - Fact Sheet
Brought to you by ChangeLab Solutions
District of Columbia B24-0712: Domestic Worker Employment Rights Amendment Act of 2022
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
California Domestic Worker Equality, Fairness and Dignity Act
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Street Vendor Legalization and Student Nutrition in South Los Angeles
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Oakland Education to Employment Academy
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2013
Proposed Coal Mine at Wishbone Hill
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 02/29/2012
The COVID-19 Pandemic Is Straining Families' Abilities to Afford Basic Needs
Resource
Brought to you by Urban Institute
Minimum Wage is Not Enough: A True Living Wage is Necessary to Reduce Poverty and Improve Health
Resource - Policy Brief
Brought to you by Drexel University
Boston Living Wage Ordinance
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 05/02/2016
Staffing Up: Workforce Levels Needed to Provide Basic Public Health Services
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Public Health National Center for Innovations
Pittsburg Railroad Avenue Transit-Oriented Development
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2007
A National Paid Leave Program Would Help Workers, Families
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
Without Affordable, Accessible, and Adequate Housing, Health Has No Foundation
Resource - Journal Article
Alameda County Goods Movement Planning for Health
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 03/14/2016
Delridge Corridor Multimodal Improvement Project
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Pay Equity Is Health Equity: Compensating People With Lived Experience
Resource
Brought to you by DASH
Georgia Qualified Allocation Plan for Low-Income Housing Tax Credits
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 08/31/2015
Choice Neighborhood Transformation Plan for a Community in Albany, Georgia
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Long Beach Downtown Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 04/01/2011
Merced County General Plan Update
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 01/01/2009
Stable High-Quality Employment
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by Results for America
Massachusetts Domestic Workers' Bill of Rights
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
The Impacts of Neighborhoods on Intergenerational Mobility I: Childhood Exposure Effects
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by OUP
Curry County Housing Stock Upgrade Initiative Pilot
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 07/31/2013
Eastern Neighborhoods Community Plans
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2006
Massachusetts Proposed Expungement Bill
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 06/30/2016
MountainElements: Comprehensive Planning in 8 Counties
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Cargo Atlanta Citywide Freight Study
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Center for Quality Growth and Regional Development
Cargo Atlanta Citywide Freight Study
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 11/03/2014
Globeville and Elyria Swansea Neighborhood Plan HIA
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 01/01/2014
Red Dog Mine Extension Aqqaluk Project
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 09/30/2009
Farm Labor Data Dashboard
Resource - Data Bank/repository
Brought to you by National Center for Farmworker Health
California High-Speed Rail: San Jose to Merced Corridor
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 05/02/2011
Baltimore-Washington Rail Intermodal Facility HIA
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
The Relationship Between Unemployment and Well-being: An Updated Meta-analysis of Longitudinal Evidence
Resource - Journal Article
Oregon Farm-to-School Legislation
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 04/30/2011
Coastal Region Metropolitan Planning Organization Freight Transportation Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2014
Worksite Wellness in Davidson, NC
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 11/01/2014
Consumer Employment in the Health Care for the Homeless Setting: Promising Practices
Resource - Case Study
Minnesota Drug Sentencing Reform
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 01/31/2016
Summit 1 Accelerating Action Report: Achieving a Diverse and Effective Public Health Workforce
Resource - Report
Brought to you by CDC Foundation
Building Capacity in HIA on the U.S.-Mexico Border Through Practice, Training, and Collaborative Partnerships
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Restorative Justice Policies in Merced County Schools
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Massachusetts Paid Sick Days
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 09/30/2009
Lake Merritt BART Station Specific Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Hoboken Stormwater Management Plan and Ordinance
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 09/18/2016
Atlanta Regional Plan 2040
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Georgia Institute of Technology School of Architecture
The Role of Labor Unions in Creating Working Conditions That Promote Public Health
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by AJPH
Ethane Cracker in Monaca, Pennsylvania
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2013
School Level Needs Assessment Regulations Under the Every Student Succeeds Act
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 07/31/2017
Executive Park Subarea Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2006
Massachusetts Community Investment Tax Credit Grant Program
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 08/31/2014
Effects of Union Certification on Workplace-Safety Enforcement: Regression-Discontinuity Evidence
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by SAGE Publications
National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska Integrated Activity Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2011
SE McLoughlin Boulevard Active Transportation Road Safety Audit
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 07/31/2014
Precarious Work in Midlife: Long-Term Implications for the Health and Mortality of Women and Men
Resource - Journal Article
Brought to you by SAGE Publications
Measure H: Preventing and Reducing Homelessness in Los Angeles County
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 02/01/2017
Coal and Clean Energy Options in Kentucky
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Earned Income Tax Credit in Arkansas
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 06/30/2019
Revitalization in Historic Natchez, Mississippi
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Language Interpretation Services in Kern County, California
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
How Involvement in the Criminal Justice System Affects Health
Resource
Brought to you by The Pew Charitable Trusts
Mojave Desert Utility-Scale Solar Project
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2013
San Diego Bus Rapid Transit Station
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2012
Concord Naval Weapons Station Reuse Project
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2008
Rental Assistance Demonstration Project
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
California Paid Sick Days
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 07/02/2008
Indiana SB 158: Indiana Youth Service Program
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Portland to Lake Oswego Transit Project
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Developing the Behavioral Health Workforce in Merced County, California
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Global Indicators of Workplace Performance & Societal Health
Resource - Website/webpage
Brought to you by Gallup
Red Line Regional Commuter Rail-North Carolina
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 10/31/2012
Cuyahoga County Transportation for Livable Communities Initiative
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
MacArthur BART Transit Village
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2006
How Economic Democracy Impacts Workers, Firms, and Communities
Resource - Report
Brought to you by Democracy at Work Institute
State Route 50 Bus Rapid Transit
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Winter Park Health Foundation
Mid-Michigan Fair and Affordable Housing Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
State Route 50 Bus Rapid Transit
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2015
Milwaukee Paid Sick Days
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 09/30/2008
Natural Gas Development in Battlement Mesa, Garfield County, Colorado
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Houston Transit-Oriented Development
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 05/31/2012
In Common Newsletter: An Introduction to Local Data
Resource
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 07/27/2023
Tax Income Earned through Work at a Lower Rate than Income Earned through Investments
Resource - Policy Brief
Brought to you by WIN Network
Published on 04/16/2021
University of Southern California Specific Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Wage Theft in Los Angeles
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 07/01/2014
Zoning and Student Housing in La Plaza Vieja
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Maternity Leave in the Palau Workforce
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Published on 12/31/2012
Gateway Gold Line Bus Rapid Transit: A Closer Look at Health and Land Use
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Employment and Disconnection Among Teens and Young Adults: The Role of Place, Race, and Education
Resource
Brought to you by Brookings
City of Minneapolis Above the Falls Master Plan
Resource - Assessment
Brought to you by Health Impact Project
Workplace Bias Against Muslims, Arabs on Rise, Advocates Say
Story - Written
Brought to you by LA Times
Why WA’s Farmworkers Are Disappearing
Story - Written
Brought to you by The Seattle Times
Published on 03/28/2024
Harvard Is Vaulting Workers Into the Middle Class With High Pay. Can Anyone Else Follow Its Lead?
Story - Written
Brought to you by NYT
Illinois Shows Us What the Road to Clean Energy Should Look Like
Story - Written
Brought to you by Natural Resources Defense Council
Paid Family Leave and Sick Days in the U.S.
Story
Brought to you by Community Commons
Published on 01/09/2018
Racial and Gendered Equity and Biden’s American Jobs Plan
Story - Written
Brought to you by Prosperity Now
Data & Metrics
Related Topics
![Card image](https://communitycommons.s3.amazonaws.com/images/labor-unions.jpg)
![Card image](https://communitycommons.s3.amazonaws.com/images/1500x1000 MWand W Topic.jpg)