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Job satisfaction highest since recession, but historically low

June 19, 2014

U.S. workers have the highest job satisfaction levels since the beginning of the Great Recession but a majority continue to be unhappy at work, according to a survey by The Conference Board.

The report found that 47.7 percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs, an increase compared to 47.3 percent in 2012 and an all-time low of 42.6 percent in 2010.

While job satisfaction in the 1980s and ’90s routinely neared 60 percent or higher, 2005 was the last year in which a majority of Americans was satisfied at work (52.1 percent).

“The U.S. economy is growing at a disappointing rate, and this sluggish recovery is mirrored in American workers’ tepid job satisfaction,” said Rebecca Ray, executive vice president, Knowledge Organization at The Conference Board and a co-author of the report. “That said, as the direct effects of the recession wear off, workers are also seizing new opportunities in a tightening labor market — a fact reflected in rising quit rates. Employers able to improve job satisfaction could thus gain a significant competitive advantage in attracting and retaining capable employees.”

The Conference Board conducted its report with the help of the Nielsen Company in the fall of 2013, based on a survey of 5,000 U.S. households.