Op-Ed: Caldwell offers a roadmap for flourishing in New Jersey

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.