Number of the Year: 10M

10 million: That’s how many fewer jobs we have compared to this time last year. More than 4 million Americans have been out of work for over 6 months, and 7 million more want to work but have given up on finding a job. We need job-generating investments to fill the holes left by the pandemic recession and to meet the needs of our communities—for climate-friendly infrastructure, for high quality childcare and elder care, for affordable broadband. And these new jobs need to be good jobs—the kind that pay a family-sustaining wage and include essential benefits like paid leave and access to health insurance. Lastly, we need to make sure that everyone can get the training necessary to get those good, family-sustaining jobs, whether it’s through apprenticeships, community college-business partnerships, or union-led training funds. We can build a more equitable economy, and it starts with good jobs.