---
title: "Found a Job, but How Good Is It?"
description: "How re-employed Americans view their new job varies depending on how long they were out of work."
date: "2010-08-10"
authors:
  - name: "Russell Heimlich"
    job_title: "Former web developer"
    link: "https://www.pewresearch.org/staff/russell-heimlich/"
url: "https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2010/08/10/found-a-job-but-how-good-is-it/"
---

# Found a Job, but How Good Is It?

How re-employed Americans view their new job varies depending on how long they were out of work. Among all workers who were unemployed sometime during the recession, 44% say their current job is better than their former job, 30% say it is about as good and 24% say it’s worse. But Americans who spent a considerable amount of time out of work are more likely to say their current job is worse than those who spent less time without a job. By more than a three-to-one ratio, those out of work for less than six months say their new job is better than say it is worse (54% vs. 16%). Among those who were jobless for six months or longer, however, 36% say their new job is better, 29% say it is worse and the remainder report it is about the same. [Read More](https://www.pewresearch.org/pubs/1674/poll-impact-long-term-unemployment)