U.S. Workers More Dissatisfied With Jobs
NEW YORK(Feb. 05) U.S.workers, pushed to produce more
and uneasy about new technology and other changes, are markedly less satisfied
with their jobs than a decade ago, a new survey says.
But the decline in on-the-job happiness, which continued
through economic cycles in recent years, has at least temporarily leveled off,
according to the survey released Monday by The Conference Board, a New
York-based business research group.
Half of U.S.workers are happy with their jobs, down from
nearly 59 percent in 1995, according to the survey. Of those, just 14 percent
say they are very satisfied.
The number of those satisfied is slightly higher than in a
similar survey done in 2003,when just below 50 percent of workers indicated
they were content with their jobs.
Compared to a decade ago, job satisfaction has declined
among all types of workers, but the drop varies by age and income. The biggest
decline in on-the-job happiness was among workers earning $25,000 to $35,000 and
among workers between the ages of 35 to 44.
The workers most satisfied with their jobs are those at
least 65 years old, the survey found.
The long-term drop in job satisfaction has been driven by
rapid changes in technology, employers’ push for productivity and shifting
expectations among workers, said Lynn Franco, director of the group’s Consumer
Research Center.
“As large numbers of baby boomers prepare to leave the work
force, they will be increasingly replaced by younger workers, who tend to be as
dissatisfied with their jobs, but have different attitudes and expectations
about the role of work in their lives,” Franco said. “This transition will
present a new challenge for employers.”
The survey, conducted for The Conference Board by market
research firm TNS, is based on a representative sample of 5,000 households
surveye in July.
Workers are generally content with their commutes to work
and the relationships with co-workers.
But they voice substantial discontent with their companies’
bonus plans, promotion policies, health plans and pension benefits. Only about
one in three said they are satisfied with their pay.
The decline in satisfaction, though, also reflects harder
to quantify factors like stress, the blurring of lines between work and home
life, Franco said.
“It’s not just about money anymore. It’s not about wages.
It’s about much more than that,”she said. “It’s about overall job aspects, both
monetary and kind of these softer issues as well.”