Americans' job satisfaction falls to record low

Americans' job satisfaction falls to record low

finance.yahoo.com

Workers who find their jobs interesting are more likely to be innovative and to take the calculated risks and the initiative that drive productivity and contribute to economic growth, Barrington says.

"What's really disturbing about growing job dissatisfaction is the way it can play into the competitive nature of the U.S. work force down the road and on the growth of the U.S. economy -- all in a negative way," says Lynn Franco, another author of the report and director of the Conference Board's

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Some may think this is not that big a deal, but it is more important that you might first think. This just plays into how people respond to there every day life. Being creative and innonvitave two things to take note of. But the team work and sense of comroderaty also play into it. Back in the early 1980s the phrase, "go postal" came into being. Not likening your work environment is what leads to things like that also.

finance.yahoo.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

Its a free country (not literaly). People are supposed to do what makes them happy. I love my job. People settle for something then turn around and complain about it later. I dont understand this. If people would so waht made them happy in the first place then it wouldnt be so bad. If you settle for a crap job then you will probably have a crap life.

My 2 cents

MessOnTheFED!

I believe that due to the souring economy, business owners are hard-pressed to make ends meet, and are thus curbing costs and axing jobs. Likewise, since Unemployment is at an all-time high, they do not have to offer competitive salaries and benefits as they once did.

So, 401k contributions are axed, that company car is no longer a perk, no Christmas Party or Christmas Bonus, sub-standard Health Care if any, 0% Cost of Living Salary Increase (or worse, a cut in Salary), and no appreciation for your work as an employee because you are constantly reminded by your employer just how fortunate you are to just have a job, and if you don't like it he'd gladly replace you with someone more desperate willing to work for far less under less than ideal conditions.

Yes, these people should be grateful that their employer is still in business and realize that you have to tighten the belt along with them.

However, that doesn't make for happy workers. I'm not the least bit surprised that Job Satisfaction is at a record low right now.

I'm miserable at my job right now. I feel like that guy in Office Space that HR forgot about and who works in the basement. I didn't get invited to the Christmas Party, was the only employee who didn't get a Christmas Bonus, and while everyone else got raises this year, I got zilch, even after taking on two other full-time Job Descriptions along with my own regular work-load. Thankfully I've gotten three job offers in the past month from competitors wanting to poach me from my current employers. I'll probably entertain those offers and see if I can improve my situation.

But that's the good thing about record low Job Satisfaction. Although it may make for miserable productivity in the Work Place, it gives people the incentive they need to get off their lazy backsides and do something better. That is what sparks ingenuity, and small business. Actually, saving up just one month of my Salary and I can open my own small business in competition to my current employer and probably be significantly happier. I might even be inclined to learn a new trade in my spare time, or spend a couple hundred hours writing the next Killer App. Record low Job Satisfaction is bad for productivity, but still good for the GDP.

I dont doubt the statement. Many jobs in the U.S are low paying, at a a corner store, dunkin donuts, grocery store, gas stations, department stores and other dead end jobs. Industry is dead in the U.S.

There are some events that affect the overall employee’s work environment which are not under an employer’s control. One relatively recent and newer hurdle I’ve had to adjust too is the difficulty overcoming the general negativism of when the spouse of an employee has been unemployed for an extended period or the employee has to assist another family member for a similar reason.

The stresses ‘creep in’ upon the employee over time and the stresses stick, understandably...but surface as "ho hum I'm bored here"...etc.

I’m sympathetic to the various situations (they all are different), but it has a noticeable negative impact…often almost a form of retaliation against the work environment. A desire for something different...or a needed change.



mg

Does this mean project mayhem is coming?

reply to post by willis7737


Willis
could you please exsplain what you mean by project mayham?

Americans' job satisfaction falls to record low...

really?
People aren't happy they are stuck in dead end jobs as slaves to corporate america? Wow.

And the ones with jobs prolly feel lucky they even have jobs?

They got us right where they want us! IMO
Broke and duped.

Thanks for letting me rant my 2!

reply to post by RedGolem


SPOILER ALERT

Project Mayhem was grand scheme of the protagonist in Fight Club to destroy the credit rating system to allow everyone in the country to "start over at 0".

reply to post by fraterormus


I know you feel like your employer is treating you like garbage, but your employer knows all to well he can treat you like garbage because there are a 100 people out there who would jump at the opportunity to trade places with you and put up with thegarbage. This is why job satisfaction is so low.

Among the other reasons cited on this thread, there is the fact that Americans are working longer hours and taking more work home and in general having to assume more responsibility than their original job description calls for. All for no higher pay (wages have been stagnant for some time now), often fewer benefits, sacrificed family life, and greatly increased stress.

50 years ago we Americans envisioned a future in which productivity-enhancing inventions would make for a shorter and shorter working week, more leisure time, more quality family time, and a generally improved quality of life.

Instead, we are going backward, to an earlier time in American history when people worked long hours six or seven days a week, industrial innovation required increasing levels of skill while paying barely subsistence wages, and few people truly enjoyed their work.

I have always chosen work that is interesting, creative and challenging over merely a way to make a living. As a result I'm a lot less rich than many of my peers but my work life is satisfying. Sometimes you have to make trade-offs like this.

Originally posted by Shadow Herder
I dont doubt the statement. Many jobs in the U.S are low paying, at a a corner store, dunkin donuts, grocery store, gas stations, department stores and other dead end jobs. Industry is dead in the U.S.

The same problem is up here in Canada. I've had an engineering degree for awhile and there are not very many opportunities for someone starting out. My dad gave me the idea just a couple days ago of considering graduate school. I'm not sure that's the solution for me, but it's worth looking into. It seems like the few good jobs are harder and harder to get, so you need more qualifications to get them.

Originally posted by Sestias
I have always chosen work that is interesting, creative and challenging over merely a way to make a living. As a result I'm a lot less rich than many of my peers but my work life is satisfying. Sometimes you have to make trade-offs like this.

I agree; if I had the choice, I'd go for an interesting job over a high paying job. The problem, at least in my experience, is that the choice is often between unsatisfying and low pay, or nothing.

RedGolem: Good post. However, on an offtopic point, I *FINALLY* remembered where I've seen your avatar before. That is from the movie The Fountain, isn't it? :p It's been driving me nuts for a long time.