Worker Satisfaction Rises to 10-Year High

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Job satisfaction rose for the fifth consecutive year in 2015.

It’s also higher than it’s been any year since 2005, with 49.6 percent of U.S. workers now satisfied with their jobs.

That’s according to The Conference Board’s latest annual report on job satisfaction, which was released this week.

The nonprofit business research organization has been gauging worker satisfaction since 1987, partly because it provides insight into the national labor market and macroeconomic trends.

Report co-author Michelle Kan, associate director of Knowledge Organization at The Conference Board, says of the latest findings:

“The rise in workers’ job satisfaction is directly influenced by labor market improvements, and the latest annual job satisfaction trends mirror overall gains in the labor market. The rapidly declining unemployment rate, combined with increased hiring, job openings and quits, signals a seller’s market, where the employer demand for workers is greater than the available supply.”

In addition to satisfaction itself, the survey examined 23 factors that affect job satisfaction levels, such as wages and job security.

The factors with which workers are most satisfied this year are:

  1. Their colleagues
  2. Interest in their work
  3. Their supervisors
  4. The commute
  5. The physical workspace

The factors with which workers are least satisfied are:

  1. Promotion policies
  2. Bonus plans
  3. The performance review process
  4. Educational/job training programs
  5. Recognition/acknowledgement

For help improving your own job satisfaction, perhaps check out:

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