Workers are stressed, but at least they have a job

From MarketWatch | Sept 2, 2010

Has your job changed in the past few years? As many employers trimmed -- or slashed -- their payrolls, that's led to more work and stress for the workers who didn't lose their jobs. But perhaps this is some consolation: Your employer knows how you feel, according to a new survey out today.

Among firms worldwide, U.S. companies were the likeliest to say they had cut costs during the recession, and a good portion of those surveyed said their employees are more stressed as a result. Companies also said pay has been flat for the past few years. Read Ruth Mantell's Diary of a Recession Baby today for more about employers' view of what workers are facing right now.

Speaking of stress, don't miss our story on a new survey listing the top 10 most stressful and top 10 least stressful U.S. cities. Which list is your city on?

One metric that survey uses to determine whether a city is stressful or not is its unemployment rate, because, obviously, it's a lot more stressful to lose a job than it is to keep one. That's the real consolation for workers these days.

--Andrea Coombes, Personal Finance editor