This article explores variations in job quality for young workers by analysing six employers across three industrial sectors of Greater Manchester, an English city-region. Four aspects of job quality are examined because of their centrality in shaping how youth labour-power is deployed in the labour process: technological utilisation, work-rate, autonomy and discretion, and opportunities for training and career progression. Primary data were collected from 30 semi-structured interviews with business owners, managers, young workers and from workplace observations. Findings reveal job quality is high in advanced manufacturing and creative and digital sectors, but low in business services. Job quality is shaped by the nature of commodity production and accompanying labour process. Development or degradation of young workers in the labour process depends largely on the requirements of the employer, as few countervailing pressures exist. Training provision improves job quality, but demand-side interventions are required to generate sustainable good jobs for young workers.

本文通过分析英国城市地区大曼彻斯特三个工业部门的六名雇主，探讨了年轻工人工作质量的变化。工作质量的四个方面因其在塑造青年劳动力在劳动过程中的部署方式中的核心作用而受到审查：技术利用、工作率、自主权和自由裁量权，以及培训和职业发展的机会。主要数据来自对企业主、经理、年轻工人的 30 次半结构化访谈和工作场所观察。调查结果显示，先进制造业、创意和数字行业的工作质量较高，但商业服务业的工作质量较低。工作质量是由商品生产的性质和伴随的劳动过程决定的。年轻工人在劳动过程中的发展或退化在很大程度上取决于雇主的要求，因为几乎不存在反补贴压力。提供培训可以提高工作质量，但需要进行需求方干预才能为年轻工人创造可持续的好工作。