Despite record high unemployment, many workers aren't happy on the job
Less than one-half of workers in the United States are satisfied with their jobs, the lowest proportion since record-keeping began 22 years ago, according to a report from the Conference Board.
Even with record high unemployment, the survey of 5,000 households found just 45 per cent of workers were satisfied with their jobs. In 1987, the first year of the survey, 61.1 per cent were satisfied.
There has been a consistent downward trend in job satisfaction, through both economic boom and bust cycles and despite improvements in the work environment, such as increased vacation days and reduced workplace hazards, said Lynn Franco, director of the consumer research center at the Conference Board.
This is troubling for overall employee engagement and ultimately employee productivity, she said. It also doesn't bode well for employee retention with nearly one-quarter of respondents saying they don't expect to be in their current jobs within a year.
Satisfaction has been declining in several aspects of employee life, including interest in work (down 18.9 percentage points since 1987) and job security (down 17.5 percentage points).
