Most Americans Satisfied With Their Jobs

August 31 2007 - New research from the National Opinion Center at the University of Chicago has found that most Americans are satisfied with their jobs.

Part of the General Social Survey, this study was based on interviews conducted between 1972 and 2006 with a total of 27 587 randomly selected people representing an accurate cross-section of the population. The study found that 86 per cent said they were satisfied at their jobs, of which 48 per cent said they were very satisfied. Only four per cent reported being very dissatisfied.

Researchers found that job satisfaction increased with age, with workers over 65 among the most satisfied. In addition, those with more education, those earning more money, and workers in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee were the most satisfied. Blacks, Hispanics and people doing unskilled labor were the least happy.

The study found that 71 per cent of those still working after age 65 said they were very satisfied at their job compared to 42 per cent of workers under 29.

Workers in the least prestigious 10 per cent of job categories (unskilled manual and service occupations) reported the lowest level of satisfaction, with 35 per cent very satisfied compared to 57 per cent in the most prestigious 10 per cent of occupations.

The study found that 40 per cent of respondents earning an annual salary of less than US$12 500 said they were very satisfied compared to 68 per cent of those making over US$110 000.

African Americans are less satisfied with their jobs than whites are (40 per cent compared to 53 per cent) and Hispanics have lower job satisfaction than non-Hispanics (46 per cent compared to 51 per cent).

A related study published in April 2007 found that professionals involved in caring, teaching, and protecting report the most job satisfaction.

Tom W. Smith, director of the General Social Survey commented:

"The most important of the factors contributing to more job satisfaction in descending order of importance are holding a job with high prestige, being older, being non-black and earning more from a job. Job satisfaction is especially high among those 65 and over because most people working at that age are not those forced to still work due to financial reasons, but those who choose to do so because they like their jobs."

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