The health and economic crises resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic evoked a long overdue conversation on the precarious nature of work in the United States. A subsequent tight labor market has shifted the balance of power towards workers, whose demands for better pay and benefits have galvanized policymakers and philanthropy to focus attention on defining and measuring job quality, and strategies to invest in human capital.

But how do employers–especially small employers–think about job quality? According to Census data, more than half of the nation’s 134 million employees work for firms with fewer than 100 employees. Not only are small employers an important source of jobs, low-income people are disproportionately employed by small businesses and these workers are more likely to be Black or Latino/a.

Reimagine Main Street, Common Future, and WorkRise hosted a convening of small business owners, lenders, philanthropy leaders, and other experts  to discuss opportunities and challenges for small employers to be the source of good jobs.

We shared findings from a new survey of more than 1,200 diverse small employers probing their views on the current labor market and approaches to good jobs. Understanding the unique drivers and constraints small businesses face in improving job quality is necessary to expand access to good jobs.

The conversation featured:

• Michele Chang, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Economic Development Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce

• Don Baylor, Managing Director, Co-Head of Community Impact, Lafayette Square

• Kim Brown, Senior Program Officer, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

• Rhett Buttle, Principal and Founder, Public Private Strategies

• Michele Chang, Deputy Assistant Secretary, Economic Development Administration, US Department of Commerce

• Tiara Flynn, Chief Executive Officer, Sumnu Marketing (Small Employer)

• Rodney Foxworth, Chief Executive Officer, Common Future

• Dr. Erika Gonzalez, CEO & President, South Texas Allergy & Asthma Medical Professionals (STAAMP) (Small Employer)

• Jorge Gonzalez-Hermoso, Research Associate, The Urban Institute

• Todd Greene, Institute Fellow, The Urban Institute & Executive Director, WorkRise

• Tammy Halevy, Executive Director, Reimagine Main Street

• Ida Rademacher, Vice President & Executive Director, Financial Security Program, The Aspen Institute

• Amy Saxton, Vice President of Program Development, The James Irvine Foundation