Sustainable job growth

‘SUSTAINABLE JOB GROWTH’ is a motto for many governments, especially in the aftermath of a
recession. The problem of ‘job quality’ is less often addressed and may be seen as hindering job growth.
The sentiment ‘any job is better than no job’ may resonate with governments as well as people, especially
in the context of high unemployment. However, if the balance between improving the quality of existing
jobs and creating new jobs becomes greatly imbalanced towards the latter, this could increase work
stress among current and future workers, which in turn has health, economic and social costs. A recent
British Academy Policy Centre Report on Stress at Work highlights these concerns, and describes the
context, determinants and consequences of work‐related stress in Britain