This spring, my daughter, Ashley, graduated from Rutgers University. She and her classmates entered one of the toughest job markets in decades. According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, more than 5% of recent college graduates are unemployed — almost a point higher than the national unemployment rate.
Employment is a well-being indicator, not just an economic one. Our jobs influence our sense of purpose, our relationships, our physical and emotional health, and the opportunities we create for our families.
But there’s more nuance to jobs than the strict binary of employed versus unemployed. Over the course of my career — in the private sector, education, ministry, and now,
in government — I’ve worked with thousands of people at every stage of life and
career. And I’ve found they move through five distinct levels of employment and life
fulfillment.
These levels offer a roadmap for job seekers, job creators, and government alike. In fact, I
believe we can use them to advance policies that open the doors of opportunity to more New Jerseyans.
The Levels of Employment and Fulfillment
Level One: Unemployed: The circumstances behind unemployment vary. Some are recent graduates looking for their first opportunity. Others may have lost employment because of economic conditions, layoffs, health challenges, caregiving responsibilities, or unexpected life circumstances.
Regardless of the reason, prolonged unemployment often creates financial strain while
diminishing confidence, hope, and emotional well-being. The challenge at this level is not
simply finding any job — it is reconnecting people with opportunity, training, and
encouragement.
Level Two: Underemployed: Millions of working New Jerseyans find themselves employed — sometimes holding two or three jobs — but struggle to keep up with the rising costs of housing, healthcare, childcare and more.
The United Way of Northern New Jersey coined the term ALICE — Asset Limited, Income
Constrained, Employed — to describe their situation. In 2024, United Way estimated that a
family of four needs to earn $115,872 to stay above water in New Jersey.
Underemployed individuals are some of the hardest-working members of our communities.
Helping them move forward requires quality job training, access to better career pathways, and support with practical barriers like unreliable transportation and unaffordable childcare.
Level Three: Employed: Last year, Gallup reported that more American workers were struggling than thriving — the first time that had happened since the pollster began collecting this data.
Many of those struggling workers do not find mission or meaning in their work. They are
financially stable but professionally unfulfilled. And that impacts their job performance, too.
It’s in our economic interest to help people find work that aligns with their talents, interests, and passions. In fact, research from Oxford University found that happier workers were 13% more productive.
Level Four: Career: Individuals make the transition from job to career when they find work they genuinely enjoy, while earning enough income to support themselves and their families. Their education, skills, interests, and professional responsibilities are largely aligned.
Many people understandably view this as the destination. But my experience has taught me
that professional success alone doesn’t guarantee personal fulfillment. Even the highest-
performing educators, nurses, and entrepreneurs can face overwhelming stress and challenges outside of work.
Career success is important, but it is not sufficient by itself.
Level Five: Flourishing: Ultimately, we want every individual to flourish. Flourishing occurs when individuals enjoy fulfillment in every facet of their lives — professional and beyond.
My understanding of flourishing has been greatly influenced by my longtime colleague and
friend, Professor Tal Ben-Shahar, and his SPIRE Framework. He now teaches that framework in the Happiness Studies program at Centenary University, where I served as president.
SPIRE identifies five interconnected dimensions of flourishing:
- Spiritual well-being: Living with meaning, purpose, and values.
- Physical well-being: Maintaining health and caring for our bodies.
- Intellectual well-being: Continuing to learn, grow, and remain curious.
- Relational well-being: Building healthy families, friendships, and communities.
- Emotional well-being: Developing resilience, optimism, gratitude, and emotional
balance.
A meaningful life cannot rest solely on job title or income. It requires balance across all the
responsibilities, relationships, and commitments that shape us.
Government’s role: With smart policy and investments, government can give people
the opportunity to flourish. That belief is reflected in the work our Administration has done
over the past six months.
Since Day One, Gov. Mikie Sherrill and I have focused on expanding jobs and economic
opportunity across the state — to help New Jerseyans progress along the career roadmap.
It starts with training. New Jersey has registered more than 1,000 apprenticeship
programs since 2018. Our Administration is working to scale these programs statewide and make sure young people have the support they need to complete them.
We’re cutting down on permitting delays and red tape, too – because a stronger business
climate will attract more businesses to build in New Jersey and create quality jobs.
I’ve relaunched our Business Action Center at the Department of State, a one-stop shop to help entrepreneurs launch businesses that create jobs and lift their entire communities up with them.
At the same time, I started a Faith Action Center to strengthen the collective capacity of New Jersey’s faith and community organizations, which help so many in our state flourish.
Finally, on June 30th, Governor Sherrill signed a budget that puts flourishing at the forefront.
The budget delivers record property tax relief and increases the Child Tax Credit by 25% to
help families navigate rising costs across the board. It funds our state childcare program, so parents don’t have to choose between employment and family responsibilities.
And it looks to the future — investing in mental health, online safety, and tutoring programs for our kids, so they start developing the tools they need to flourish for the long term.
The Path Forward: Career success should never be viewed as a destination. It is one important milestone on the journey toward a meaningful life. But I invite New Jerseyans to assess where they are on the roadmap — and what we can do to help move them toward flourishing.
The answers may change throughout our lives. Careers evolve. Families grow. Circumstances change. But the goal remains the same. We want to help New Jerseyans thrive, not just survive here — to live with purpose, health, strong relationships, continuous learning, emotional well-being, and a commitment to serving others.
Because at the end of the day, the true measure of a prosperous state isn’t simply how many people have jobs. It’s how many people are flourishing.
Dale Caldwell is the Lieutenant Governor and Secretary of State for the state of New Jersey.
