U.S. Job Satisfaction at Lowest Level in Two Decades

From the Conference Board | Jan. 5, 2010 | Download this report

Americans
of all ages and income brackets continue to grow increasingly unhappy
at work-a long-term trend that should be a red flag to employers,
according to a report released today by The Conference Board.

The report, based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households conducted for
The Conference Board by TNS, finds only 45 percent of those surveyed
say they are satisfied with their jobs, down from 61.1 percent in 1987,
the first year in which the survey was conducted.

"While one in 10 Americans is now unemployed, their working
compatriots of all ages and incomes continue to grow increasingly
unhappy," says Lynn Franco, director of the Consumer Research Center of
The Conference Board. "Through both economic boom and bust during the
past two decades, our job satisfaction numbers have shown a consistent
downward trend."

Fewer Americans are satisfied with all aspects of their employment,
and no age or income group is immune. In fact, the youngest cohort of
employees (those currently under age 25) expresses the highest level of
dissatisfaction ever recorded by the survey for that age group.

"The downward trend in job satisfaction could spell trouble for the
overall engagement of U.S. employees and ultimately employee
productivity," adds Franco.

"These numbers do not bode well given the multi-generational
dynamics of the labor force," says Linda Barrington, managing director,
Human Capital, The Conference Board. "The newest federal statistics
show that baby boomers will compose a quarter of the U.S. workforce in
eight years, and since 1987 we've watched them increasingly losing
faith in the workplace." Twenty years ago, some 60 percent of that
generation was satisfied with their jobs. Today, that figure is roughly
46 percent. Barrington adds: "The growing dissatisfaction across and
between generations is important to address because it can directly
impact the quality of multi-generational knowledge transfer-which is
increasingly critical to effective workplace functioning."

The drop in job satisfaction between 1987 and 2009 covers all
categories in the survey, from interest in work (down 18.9 percentage
points) to job security (down 17.5 percentage points) and crosses all
four of the key drivers of employee engagement: job design,
organizational health, managerial quality, and extrinsic rewards.

"Challenging and meaningful work is vitally important to engaging
American workers," adds John Gibbons, program director of employee
engagement research and services at The Conference Board. "Widespread
job dissatisfaction negatively affects employee behavior and retention,
which can impact enterprise-level success." In fact, 22 percent of
respondents said they don't expect to be in their current job in a
year. "This data throws up a big, red flag because the increasing
dissatisfaction is not just a ‘survivor syndrome' artifact of having
co-workers and neighbors laid off in the recession," says Gibbons.

Source:

I Can't Get No...Job Satisfaction, That Is: America's Unhappy Workers

Research Report #1459-09-RR

The Conference Board

Follow these links to learn more about The Conference Board work on Survivor Syndrome and Managing Multi-Generational Workplaces.
Also, watch for the research report A Global Barometer for Measuring
Employee Engagement, which will be published in early 2010. This report
explains the foundation for The Conference Board Global Employee
Engagement Survey and component Employee Engagement Barometer, now
licensed to Louis Allen Worldwide and The Verde Group.

About The Conference Board

For over 90 years, The Conference Board has created and disseminated
knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses
strengthen their performance and better serve society. The Conference
Board operates as a global independent membership association working
in the public interest. It publishes information and analysis, makes
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by creating dynamic communities of interest that bring together senior
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About TNS
TNS is a global market
information and insight group. Its strategic goal is to be recognized
as the global leader in delivering value-added information and insights
that help its clients make more effective business decisions. TNS
delivers innovative thinking and excellent service across a network of
80 countries. Working in partnership with clients, TNS provides
high-quality information, analysis and insight that improve
understanding of consumer behavior. For more information, visit www.tns-us.com.

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For further information contact:

Frank Tortorici

(1) 212 339 0231

f.tortorici@conference-board.org