Are you happy with your job? Most people are…that’s according to a Conference Board survey that found 62% U.S. workers are satisfied, an all-time high. UNO Business Professor Mark Rosa says when opportunities are limited, employees tend to have lower expectations and feel more satisfied with their jobs.
“They’ve got a little money in their pockets, wages are up even though inflation is up, that’s coming down. And I think the combination of which is adding a little pep in their step, and I think that’s what’s attributing to what the Conference Board is reporting.”
The report finds improved satisfaction across 26 components. Workers who voluntarily switched jobs since the pandemic began report higher satisfaction in almost all aspects of jobs. Their overall satisfaction was at 65.7 percent – 3.6 points higher than those who didn’t change jobs. Rosa says this is a case of the grass being greener on the other side — and people going there and liking it.
“The last couple of years, people who were on the job 10-15 years or more were finding themselves leaving and going to a completely different industry. Had they not had the push of covid, I don’t think they would have ever considered that.”
The study showed a large gender gap in satisfaction with women less satisfied than men across all 26 categories. However, employees with hybrid work arrangements report the greatest satisfaction compared to fully remote or fully on-premises workers. Hybrid workers are also satisfied with organizational culture, potential growth, and interest in work, all of which drive higher retention and satisfaction overall.
“I know businesses that have shed off the space because it’s like we don’t ever have to go back to the office. Why don’t we do this permanently in the construct that covid set for us? And I think that’s playing into the Conference Board Statistics.”
Job satisfaction has been rising steadily for over a decade, after hitting an all-time low of 42.6 percent in 2010 following the Great Recession.
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