GITNUX MARKETDATA REPORT 2024

Job Satisfaction Statistics And Trends In 2024

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Job satisfaction, or being happy with one’s employment, is an important factor in overall life satisfaction, since people tend to spend most of their days at their jobs. So their job satisfaction has a very high influence on their general mood and mental health. This, however, is not easy to obtain because there are numerous conditions that must be met first before one can achieve it.

In this article, we will take a look at some of the latest job satisfaction statistics, and explore why so many people are happy and unhappy in their current roles. We will also discuss the main factors contributing to job satisfaction.

Job Satisfaction: The Most Important Statistics

For women in the workplace, it is stated that 40% are always on the look for a new employer.

In 2022, 51% have left their jobs as they didn’t feel a sense of belonging.

Out of 32,000 employees, 64% claimed that they would start searching for a new job if they were asked to return to the office full-time.

General statistics on job satisfaction

As of 2021, work-life balance was the most important organizational attribute for employees worldwide, with 51% of people choosing that option. Career advancement opportunities and employer ethics and values were the other leading elements crucial for ensuring job satisfaction among employees.

Employee satisfaction rates relate to the following aspects of a company:

60% of employees consider their colleagues to be the biggest contributors to job happiness.

Organizations with high employee happiness outperform low employee satisfaction companies by 202%.

57% of remote workers are satisfied with their job, while 50% of in-house employees say the same.

32.9% of worldwide developers are very satisfied with their job.

Does Job Satisfaction vary by gender?

Unfortunately, job satisfaction tends to be a bit lower with women in the workforce. Women are more likely to be looking for a new role than they were a year ago, and burnout is the top driving factor as nearly 40% of women actively looking for a new employer cited it as the main reason.

Only 22% cited flexibility around where and when they work. 

Even more worrisome, 94% believe that requesting flexible working will affect their likelihood of promotion, and 90% believe their workloads won’t be adjusted accordingly if they request flexible-working options.

Men report higher overall job satisfaction than women, with men scoring 10% higher satisfaction scores overall.

80% of women place high importance on work-life balance, whereas only 62% of men say work-life balance is important to them.

Men are twice as likely to be satisfied with opportunities for promotion and progression available to them.

Women’s job satisfaction decreases by 20% as they move from mid-level to senior level in their careers, while men’s remains constant.

73% of women are unhappy with management opportunities available to females.

What are the factors contributing to job satisfaction?

  • Sense of Purpose – 97% of people feel more engaged at work when they feel like they have a purpose for being there
  • Structured Career Growth  – Reports indicate that 34% of people believe that they have to find a new employer in order to obtain advancement opportunities. 
  • Positive Relationships – 51% of people surveyed quit within the last year because they didn’t feel a sense of belonging 

Completing the same task daily can become boring quite quickly, but when each shift is a surprise and less repetitive, the job will feel more interesting.

Jobs with limited stress and regular hours will be better for a person’s overall health in the long term. 

Many of these jobs will also have a positive company culture and opportunities for advancement. If an employee doesn’t feel that they’re moving forward in their job, they won’t be satisfied. 

Finally, when employees don’t have to worry about having enough money to pay their bills, their stress level will significantly decrease.

Highest and lowest job satisfaction scores by country

Job satisfaction also seems to vary greatly from country to country. Indians are the most satisfied at work with 89% in 2019, followed by Mexico with 85%, then the USA accounting for 78%, and then China and UK with the same rating of 74%.

Japan’s employee satisfaction is on the lower side of the studies, with just 42%

The lack of satisfaction at work can have many reasons and much has been said about the cutthroat nature of Japanese working culture. A bad work environment also contributes to unhappiness.

Portugal has the lowest job satisfaction in the European Union with a percentage of 21.6% of job satisfaction which decreased from 31.1% in 2017. 

Germany and Poland with the same level of percentage 31%. Germany has a steady percentage level while Poland decreased from 42% in 2017 to 31% in 2022.

How does remote work affect job satisfaction?

Two years post-pandemic, workers are thinking harder than ever before about what they really want out of work and life and are reassessing, and in some cases, inverting ideas around what they are worth, what job security means and what they want from their employers.

COVID-19 triggered a re-evaluation of what job security means to workers, with many wanting more from their employers.

According to a study by Tech.co, not only are remote employees more satisfied and optimistic, they’re also firmly committed to not returning to the office. 

The survey of 32,000 workers across 17 different countries found that 64% of employees would consider looking for a new job if asked to return to the office full time.”

Full-time, in-office workers,however, reported lower scores relating to employee experience than their hybrid or remote colleagues. 

Only 21.6% of in-office workers said they were happy with their work environment, compared to 28.3% of hybrid workers and 35.4% of remote workers. 

Only 17.1% of in-office employees were satisfied with their work-life balance, compared to 25.1% of hybrid workers and 33.2% of remote workers.

  • Job Satisfaction: Continuing to embrace flexibility is essential. 

Most employees (88%) agree that the flexibility to work from home or the office has increased their job satisfaction.

  •     Physical health: The hybrid workplace has empowered employees to reclaim physical health. 

75% of respondents stated that they move more frequently and have a more active work style when working remotely.

  •     Work-life balance: 75% of respondents say their work-life balance has improved as a result of hybrid or remote working. 

Even though some employees are dedicating more time to their work, if they’re able to fit it in and around other aspects of their lives, they say they feel the positive effects of a better work-life balance.

  • Comfortable work environments: Of all the workers surveyed, 62% said improved workspaces with comfortable, ergonomic furniture are important and improve company culture. 
  • Wellness programs: 76% of respondents revealed that their employers implemented wellness programs to support mental and physical health, with 30% of those being brand new since the onset of the pandemic.”

Do younger people exhibit higher levels of job satisfaction?

On the contrary, young adults are the least satisfied with their work.

Only 31% of respondents between 18-34 report being completely satisfied with their work, while 16% of that demographic report being dissatisfied.

Across all generations, pay satisfaction is at 60%. 

Millennials’ job satisfaction is mostly affected by 2 things: pay and job security. 

While all generations’ job security satisfaction is at 59%, millennials are at 56%. This, of course, affects their work engagement.

Supplementary Statistics

85% of employees are not engaged or actively disengaged at work, affecting job satisfaction.

The majority of employees are not feeling fulfilled in their roles, which can have a detrimental effect on their overall well-being and productivity. Employers take steps to ensure their employees are engaged and satisfied in their roles, as this can have a positive impact on the success of the business.

51% of US employees are satisfied with their job.

The majority of employees are content with their job, which is a positive sign for the US job market. This statistic is important to consider when discussing job satisfaction, as it provides a snapshot of the current state of the job market.

70% of employees believe that learning and development opportunities impact their job satisfaction.

The majority of employees recognize the value of these opportunities and how they can positively influence their overall job satisfaction. This is an important insight for employers to consider when looking to create a workplace environment that is conducive to employee satisfaction.

80% of employees are likely to stay with an employer that offers job flexibility, impacting job satisfaction.

When employers offer job flexibility, they are more likely to retain their employees, which in turn leads to higher job satisfaction. This statistic is a clear reminder that employers should prioritize job flexibility in order to ensure their employees are satisfied with their work.

On a scale of 1 to 10, job satisfaction rates 6.1 in the United States for 2021.

This provides a snapshot of how people feel about their jobs, and can be used to compare to previous years to see if job satisfaction is increasing or decreasing. This statistic is an important piece of information for anyone looking to gain insight into the job satisfaction landscape in the United States.

60% of millennials prioritize work-life balance when considering job satisfaction.

There is a need for employers to provide a healthy balance between work and personal life in order to attract and retain millennial employees. It also highlights the importance of creating a workplace culture that values and supports work-life balance, as this is a key factor in job satisfaction for millennials.

48% of employees say that the quality of their relationship with their manager impacts their job satisfaction.

A strong relationship between the two can have a positive effect on job satisfaction, while a weak relationship can have a negative effect. This is an important factor to consider when discussing job satisfaction, as it can have a significant impact on employee morale and productivity.

21% of employees believe that professional growth and career development are important for job satisfaction.

A significant portion of employees recognize the value of these factors in their overall satisfaction with their job. This is an important insight for employers to consider when looking to create a workplace that is conducive to employee satisfaction.

A study found that 43% of highly engaged employees get feedback at least once a week, contributing to job satisfaction.

Providing feedback to employees on a regular basis can have a positive impact on their job satisfaction. This highlights the need for employers to ensure that they are providing their employees with regular feedback in order to maintain a high level of engagement and job satisfaction.

Job satisfaction increases by 23% when employees have trust in their senior leadership.

When employees have faith in their superiors, they are more likely to be content in their roles. This is an invaluable insight for employers, as it highlights the need to foster a trusting relationship between staff and management in order to ensure job satisfaction.

Over 80% of employees are happier when they work remotely, partly due to job satisfaction.

The majority of employees are more content when they are able to work from home, suggesting that employers should consider allowing their staff to work remotely in order to boost morale and productivity.

75% of employees who voluntarily leave their jobs do so because of their direct supervisors, affecting job satisfaction.

Supervisors have a direct impact on job satisfaction, and that employees are more likely to stay in their positions if they feel supported and respected by their supervisors. This is an important point to consider when discussing job satisfaction statistics, as it emphasizes the need for employers to prioritize the development of strong leadership skills in order to ensure employee satisfaction and retention.

Job satisfaction increases by 12% when employees receive praise and recognition for their work.

When employees are acknowledged for their hard work, it can have a significant impact on their job satisfaction. This is an invaluable insight for employers, as it shows that investing in recognition and appreciation can have a positive effect on employee morale and productivity.

Employees who have the option to work remotely are 29% more satisfied with their jobs than those who don’t.

Remote work can have on job satisfaction. It suggests that offering employees the option to work remotely can be a key factor in improving job satisfaction, and should be taken into consideration when looking for ways to increase employee satisfaction.

Employees with a commute of 20 minutes or less are 12% more likely to report higher job satisfaction.

Employees who have a shorter commute are more likely to be content with their job, and that employers should consider the commute time of their employees when assessing job satisfaction. This could be a valuable insight for employers looking to improve job satisfaction among their workforce.

Conclusion

According to the study, we have concurred that job satisfaction varies based on a lot of criteria and that they tend not to be proportional at all as they represent different aspects of the workforce. 

We learned that employees seem to prioritize their work-life balance over most other aspects and it is the factor assuming most levels of job satisfaction, followed directly by having a sense of purpose of being in the organization

As for the demographic aspects, females tend to be less satisfied by their jobs compared to males as they are usually searching for new employers, and their job satisfaction tends to decrease as they reach more senior levels in the organizations. Moreover, younger people have displayed higher levels of dissatisfaction compared with older employees.

As for the geographic data, contrary to many beliefs; however, the development of countries where employees are at does not play a factor in job satisfaction at all. We have concurred that India has the highest levels of job satisfaction, where as, Japan has been recorded to be on the lower levels of it due to their fierce work culture.

References

Finances Online: “86 Job Satisfaction Statistics for 2023: Data by Profession & Region”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Workforce.com: “7 striking employee satisfaction statistics and trends”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

World Economic Forum: “This chart shows which countries have the highest and lowest job satisfaction”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Statista: “Where Job Satisfaction is Highest and Lowest”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

European Data Journalism Network: “The job satisfaction map: these are the countries where workers live best”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Statista: “What organizational attributes do you think are most important for an employer to engage employees?”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Zippia: “43 INCREDIBLE JOB SATISFACTION STATISTICS [2023]: AVERAGE JOB SATISFACTION IN THE US”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Team Stage: “Millennials in the Workplace Statistics: Generational Disparities in 2022”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Indeed: “The Key To Employee Satisfaction and How To Achieve It”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Delloite: “Women @ Work 2022: A Global Outlook”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Standout CV: “Job satisfaction statistics”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Intuit: “The 20 Most Fulfilling Jobs + The Psychology Behind Them”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Forbes: “3 New Studies End Debate Over Effectiveness Of Hybrid And Remote Work”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

Tech.co: “Study: Remote Workers Are More Satisfied Than In-Office Employees”, cited in February 2023 (Source)

ZipDo, cited June 2023: Job Satisfaction Statistics

FAQs

What factors commonly influence job satisfaction?

Job satisfaction can be influenced by a variety of factors such as job security, compensation, work-life balance, opportunities for career advancement, the nature of the job itself, and the work environment.

How can job satisfaction be measured?

Job satisfaction is usually measured through surveys and questionnaires that assess various aspects of the job, such as the level of enjoyment in the tasks performed, the sense of accomplishment, relationships with colleagues and supervisors, and the perception of the company's culture.

How does job satisfaction impact productivity?

High job satisfaction often leads to increased productivity because satisfied employees are usually more motivated, engaged, and committed to their work. Conversely, job dissatisfaction can lead to lower productivity, absenteeism, and even turnover.

What is the correlation between job satisfaction and employee retention?

There is a strong positive correlation between job satisfaction and employee retention. Employees who are happy and satisfied with their jobs are less likely to look for opportunities elsewhere and more likely to stay with their current employer.

Can job satisfaction be improved? If so, how?

Yes, job satisfaction can be improved. Employers can boost job satisfaction by improving work conditions, increasing employee autonomy, offering competitive salaries and benefits, providing opportunities for career advancement, fostering a positive and respectful work culture, and regularly seeking employee feedback to identify and remedy issues.

How we write our statistic reports:

We have not conducted any studies ourselves. Our article provides a summary of all the statistics and studies available at the time of writing. We are solely presenting a summary, not expressing our own opinion. We have collected all statistics within our internal database. In some cases, we use Artificial Intelligence for formulating the statistics. The articles are updated regularly.

See our Editorial Process.

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