Despite the doom and gloom of the recession easing somewhat, job satisfaction in the UK has remained static in the past 12 months.
This is according to research conducted by the recruitment firm Office Angels, which found that just over four in ten (42 per cent) of UK workers are happy in their job, up just one per cent on the same survey a year ago.
The city with the highest levels of job satisfaction is Edinburgh, where 46 per cent of workers said that they are happy in the current role.
In contrast, the lowest levels of happiness were found in Nottingham and Wales, where 35 per cent said they were dissatisfied by their work.
In terms of age, 25-34 year olds are the most unhappy in their jobs (27 per cent). This compares to just 20 per cent of over-55s.
Happiness also fluctuates between industries, with 67 per cent of those working in the arts stating they are very pleased with their job. Professional services (53 per cent) and education (47 per cent) also had high levels of satisfaction.
Steven Kirkpatrick, managing director of Office Angels said that celebratory events such as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics helped to build excitement and goodwill amongst employees in 2012, but these events are in the past now and the bleak reality of work appears to have returned to many with a thud.
Indeed, mobile working schemes helped to boost productivity and job satisfaction while major events were being held last summer, but many firms have now reverted back to their old ways of working.
“Fluctuating levels of happiness across the country suggests more can be done to boost morale and enhance job satisfaction,” he added.
“To help create a ground-swell of happiness, employers must remember their role in fostering a positive working environment which will in turn create a more productive workforce”.
Research by Accenture found that job satisfaction across the world is broadly similar to that in the UK, with 53 per cent of females and 50 per cent of males happy in their role.
