Hidden Figures - The State of Human Capital Disclosures for Sustainable Jobs - Ulrich Atz - ASWQ V3I2 - March 2025

Since 2017, the NYU Stern Center for Sustainable Business has studied how to assess job quality, or sustainable jobs, which goes beyond ESG metrics. While ESG reporting often focuses on carbon emissions, it fails to measure the social performance of firms, particularly in areas like job quality. The research highlights significant gaps in human capital disclosures, such as the lack of reporting on turnover, contingent workers, and the financial impact of poor job quality. The authors propose a three-pillar framework for sustainable jobs: business basics, financial security, and job excellence. They argue that companies need to report on employee retention and the financial impact of involuntary turnover. The study stresses the need for improved transparency in labor-related data, with recommendations for corporate leaders, regulators, and investors to prioritize metrics like turnover and wages. This will help better measure and foster sustainable job practices.