Job Satisfaction Statistics for 2024

With close links to everything from employee output to retention and overall workplace happiness, job satisfaction statistics have long been a crucial tool for employers looking to ensure the most effective results. Specifically, employers looking to succeed with the best talent at their sides need to understand the full scope and meaning of employee satisfaction statistics, the most revealing of which we’re going to consider here. 

Key Job Satisfaction Stats - Editor’s Picks

• 56.68% of workers globally are satisfied with their employment.
• 60% of employees consider their coworkers the most significant contributor to job happiness.
• 75% of employees quit due to managerial disagreements.
• Only 34% of US employees feel engaged in the workplace.
• 55% of workers in the US are likely to look for a new job within the next 12 months.

What Affects Job Satisfaction

The fact that over half of Americans want to change their jobs highlights the reality that, for companies looking to compete in a modern market, employee job satisfaction should most definitely be a priority.  It makes sense to first look at the statistics on American job satisfaction that highlight what fuels satisfaction in the first place. This can help provide practical advice to employers hoping to ensure a positive work environment for their employees at all times. 

60% of employees consider coworkers the most significant contributor to job happiness.

(Statista)

Job happiness statistics from 2019 revealed that as many as two in three employees consider the people they work with the biggest contributor to workplace happiness. By comparison, presumed high happiness factors, including the potential future for growth within a company, were prioritized by just 39.3% of respondents. Commuting was just as important as colleagues, followed by the interest in the work itself, the job environment, and the supervisor.

56.68% of workers globally are satisfied with their employment.

(GoodFirms)

According to research by GoodFirms, just over half of the employees are satisfied in their positions, while 30.15% are not. 13.17% of people were unsure or neutral towards their current jobs.

The majority of workers (89.05%) expect at least three employee benefits.

(GoodFirms)

Statistics on job satisfaction show that employee benefits are a significant indicator of workplace happiness for many, with the majority of respondents in a Good Firms survey expecting at least three workplace benefits. Popular benefits include annual raises (81.10%), five working days a week (75.33%), and flexible timings (74.54%).

70.87% of employees consider fair treatment in the workplace to be very important.

(GoodFirms)

Workplace values can significantly help to increase job satisfaction, with 70.87% of employees especially considering fair treatment in the workplace to be very important, alongside having work that aligns with their interests (71.40%), achieving a healthy work/life balance (70.60%), and having a friendly boss (69.53%). 

Interestingly enough, this survey showed the top priority to be growth opportunities (73.62%), while the Statista research puts it relatively low on the list of factors that influence employee happiness.

72% of employees require respect for job satisfaction.

(SHRM)

A survey from the Society of Human Resource Management found that respect within the workplace is becoming an increasing priority among employees, with 72% ranking this as their most important indicator of job satisfaction. 

Dissatisfaction in the Workplace

While job satisfaction statistics clearly show what employees expect in modern workplaces, increasing job turnover rates highlight the need to address workplace dissatisfaction. In particular, employers need to be aware of what people generally find problematic, so here are some of the most important factors:

79% of people who quit their jobs feel undervalued.

(O.C. Tanner)

79% of people who quit their jobs list feeling undervalued as a prime reason for doing so, while a manager’s failure to acknowledge hard work even once in twelve months was noted by as many as 65% of employees in North America.

Only 34% of US employees feel engaged in the workplace.

(Gallup)

A recent Gallup survey revealed that just 34% of workers in the US feel engaged in the workplace. US job satisfaction statistics do rank slightly above the global average and are much better than Canada’s (only 19%), but that still leaves the vast majority of US workers feeling like their jobs aren’t fulfilling enough.

Only 12% of employees leave a job for money.

(HR Daily Advisor)

Despite 89% of employers strongly believing that employees will leave a job for money, findings reveal that only 12% will consider leaving a job due to pay grade alone. 

75% of employees quit due to managerial disagreements.

(Gallup)

By comparison, statistics reveal that as many as 75% of employees who quit their positions do so due to dissatisfaction surrounding management, specifically due to a lack of respect now prioritized by as many as 72% of workers. By comparison, workers who feel encouraged by or enjoy a close relationship with their management team are far more likely to both be more productive and remain in their roles. 

73% of employees would stay with a company if there were skill more skill-building opportunities.

(LinkedIn)

73% of employees in a recent LinkedIn survey reported that they would be far happier to stay in a position if there were more skill-building opportunities on offer, highlighting the fact that a lack of job progression is still very much a leading cause for dissatisfaction. 

Job Satisfaction by Age

Recent job satisfaction statistics have highlighted a sometimes stark difference in the priorities and happiness of employees across different age ranges, with upcoming Millennial and Gen Z workforces particularly piling pressure on employees when it comes to workplace wellness and equality. Employers would be well-advised to pay more attention to work-based happiness across the different age groups in their teams.

31% of 18- to 34-year-old workers are completely satisfied with their jobs.

(Pew Research)

The number increases with age, and 40% of those 35 and older report complete satisfaction with their current job. Full-time workers tend to be more satisfied with their jobs, with 34% reporting complete job satisfaction vs. just 23% of those working part-time.

56% of companies have recently updated their policies to appeal to a multigenerational workforce.

(LinkedIn)

Baby boomers are retiring later than their parents did back in the day. Combine that with a large Millenial and Gen-X workforce and Gen Z workers who are set to account for 30% of the US workforce by 2030, and you have more companies with age-diverse teams on the market than ever before.

Workers between 18 and 34 are least likely to cite job meaningfulness as a key contributor to job satisfaction.

(CNBC/Survey Monkey)

Despite 35% of workers in a recent CNBC/Survey Monkey survey citing job meaningfulness as crucial to satisfaction, supposedly more socially aware younger workers were the least likely to follow this trend, with far more of them prioritizing considerations such as pay rates and progression opportunities.

51% of workers aged 18 to 24 prioritize a higher salary over job security.

(Pew Research)

Workplace wellness statistics from Pew Research reveal that while 59% of older workers hold job security as more important than the salary, workers between 18 and 24 value getting paid more above having the security of a stable job.

Millennials are three times more likely to leave a job.

(Gallup)

Millennials are now the largest generation of US workers, and they’re at least three times more likely to leave their jobs than other generations, with as many as 21% having done so in the past year. While 28% of millennials do hope to remain in roles for more than five years, 43% predict that they’ll change jobs in the next two, often as a result of more competitive pay or opportunities elsewhere. 

Satisfaction by Career

Job satisfaction statistics by profession show that job satisfaction can vary greatly depending on one’s career and industry. Interestingly, jobs with high satisfaction rates aren’t typically the ones in the highest-paying fields. Let’s take a look:

At 90%, individuals in the clergy have the highest rates of high job satisfaction in the industry.

(Payscale)

Career satisfaction statistics by PayScale reveal that, despite a relatively low median salary of $46,600, members of the clergy have both the highest rates of job satisfaction (90%) and the most pronounced sense of having a meaningful job (98%).

Only 39% of cafeteria attendants and dry-cleaning workers experience high job satisfaction.

(Payscale)

Unhappy employee statistics from the same PayScale study revealed that cafeteria attendants and dry-cleaning workers typically have the lowest levels of job satisfaction, with high job satisfaction rates of just 39%. 

Public sector workers generally report higher levels of job satisfaction and meaning.

(Payscale)

Despite typically low pay grades, public sector workers often report higher levels of job satisfaction, often as a result of their jobs seeming more meaningful to them. Employment satisfaction statistics show that healthcare workers and teachers particularly rank job meaningfulness levels as high as 96%, which is far better than much higher-earning individuals like chief executives (74%).

Just 5% of parking lot attendants consider their jobs meaningful.

(Finances Online)

Parking lot attendants generally feel they have the least meaningful positions in the workforce, with just 5% considering the role to have meaning. Other low-ranking positions include gaming supervisors (20%) and fabric and apparel pattern makers (25%). Unsurprisingly, these professions also tend to have low job satisfaction rankings.

A third of individuals earning a salary lower than $25,000 have job satisfaction rates under 50%.

(Payscale)

Outside of individual industries, Payscale’s findings (after comparing as many as 454 jobs across the workforce) revealed that, while not a particularly strong indicator of job satisfaction, low salaries do unsurprisingly lead to lower job satisfaction rates, too.

The Impact of Job Dissatisfaction

The fact that job dissatisfaction continues to grow highlights that employers don’t care enough or fail to understand the severity of the problem. With that in mind, a study of stats on job satisfaction wouldn’t be complete without also considering the following results of ongoing dissatisfaction among any workforce:

52% of Americans are uninspired and undermotivated.

(Indeed)

Statistics on job satisfaction in America reveal that as many as 52% of the American workforce feel burnt out from their jobs. The worst part is that a significant majority of these employees (67%) believe things have only gotten worse since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

55% of workers in the US are likely to look for a new job within the next 12 months.

(Bankrate)

A Bankrate survey from August 2021 showed that over half of US workers had plans to look for new job opportunities within the next twelve months. As many as 28% of those not even looking for new jobs at the time of the survey expected to do so at some point within the next year.

Low employee engagement costs US companies as much as $450-550 billion every year.

(Gallup)

Job satisfaction statistics often fail to mention that the issue of disgruntled employees has serious financial ramifications, too. Companies that overlook employee satisfaction cost the US as high as $450-550 billion each year due to increased turnover and employment drives, poorer employee productivity, and a general lack of effort on their part.

Less than half of employees outside the management trust their companies.

(Harvard Business Review)

According to a survey done by Edelman Trust Barometer, only 48% of non-managerial staff trust their companies, compared to 64% of executives. This disconnect makes everyday work and overall company growth harder, as mistrust leads to lower work engagement, unhappiness in the workplace, and overall reduced productivity.

Room for Improvement

While the latest job satisfaction statistics across the US may still be a bit higher than global averages, the high percentage of US workers seeking employment elsewhere suggests that there’s still significant room for improvement. This is especially true when it comes to workplace culture, management and HR teams, and providing employees with a better sense of job progression.