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Changing work values in the United States, 1973-2006
Arne L Kalleberg1, Peter V Marsden
1Department of Sociology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States.
Social Science Research
|January 26, 2013
Summary
Workers increasingly prioritized income and job security from 1973-2006 due to rising economic insecurity. Despite this, the importance of accomplishment remained highest, especially for less educated workers and Black individuals.
Area of Science:
- Sociology
- Labor Economics
- Psychology
Background:
- Worker priorities regarding job characteristics have evolved over decades.
- Understanding shifts in work values is crucial for labor market analysis.
- Previous research indicates a long-term trend towards valuing intrinsic job aspects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To analyze changes in the relative importance of work values among US workers between 1973 and 2006.
- To investigate the influence of economic and job insecurity on these value shifts.
- To examine demographic differences in work value prioritization.
Main Methods:
- Utilized data from the General Social Survey (GSS) spanning 1973-2006.
- Employed statistical analysis to assess the changing importance of various work values (income, security, advancement, accomplishment, short hours).
- Compared value rankings across different demographic groups (education, race, gender).
Main Results:
- The importance of 'importance and sense of accomplishment' remained the highest work value throughout the study period.
- A significant increase in the relative priority of income and job security was observed.
- Workers with lower education levels and Black workers showed a greater emphasis on income and security, reflecting higher insecurity.
Conclusions:
- The heightened focus on income and job security suggests increased worker vulnerability to economic and employment instability.
- While intrinsic values like accomplishment remain paramount, extrinsic factors like earnings and security have gained relative importance.
- Demographic disparities in work value prioritization persist, underscoring the differential impact of economic insecurity across worker groups.
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