Why Most Workers Cant Get No Job Satisfaction

Why Most Workers Cant Get No Job SatisfactionWhy Most Workers Cant Get No Job SatisfactionWhy Most Workers Cant Get No Job SatisfactionIf youre working, are you happy with what youre doing and where youre doing it?If you are, youre in the minority, according to the The Conference Board, whose recent research found that only 45% of employed Americans are satisfied with their jobs. Which means 55% are not.The dissatisfaction is widespread across age groups, which goes to show that there is equality in fear, anger, and tension as we slowly emerge from a recession (which is whatexperts tell us). Almost everyone in the workplace has relatives or friends whove lost jobs, and many have also seen coworkers who got laid off, and had to pick up some of the work that went out the door with them.That combination can easily erode job happiness for the lucky ones left behind. When there is gloom all around you, chances are it will envelop you too.But theres something else happening here. When The Conference Board started measuring job satisfaction in 1987, it found that 61% of workers were satisfied with their jobs. Granted, we werent coming out of a recession then, but that figure has been dropping steadily since. Whats happening?For starters, the days of mutual, everlasting loyalty between employer and employee are long gone. Mass layoffs have become more common and workers are more willing to take risks by moving on to more challenging roles elsewhere. So if the employee is miserable at work, he or she is less likely to prolong the misery and more likely to tune up the resume and find another job.One of our favorite bloggers, Laurie Ruettimann at Punk Rock HR, cited a few other contributing factors in her take on The Conference Boards findings, specifically the erosion of raises and pensions, the higher costs of premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance, and the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs to other side of the globe.Put it all together, and you might wonder w hy job satisfaction isnt lower.