Although it seems like a lifetime ago, workers were riding high during the Great Resignation 2021 through 2022. According to a new report, it’s the happiest they’d been since the 80s.
A new study from the Conference Board, a research organization, revealed that overall job satisfaction among U.S. workers hit record levels last year, due to improved wages and career fufilment choices.
In the report, 62.6% of the workers that the Conference Board spoke to said they were satisfied with their jobs, which is a 3.3% increase.
“U.S. workers have never been more content,” the report read. “The largest gains occurred in “experience of work” components such as work/life balance, workload, and performance review processes. Satisfaction with compensation and benefits components including health plans, bonus plans, and educational and job training programs also significantly improved in 2022.”
Most notably, employees who were working in hybrid work environment were the most satisfied with their jobs. Additionally, workers who quit their jobs for something more fulfilling were the happiest, unsurprisingly.
“Despite year-over-year improvements, job satisfaction among women remains below that of men, with large gaps appearing in job security, promotion policy, and bonus plans, as well as across compensation and benefits, including pay, sick day policy, vacation policy, and health plans,” the report reads.
It continued: “The short recession that many anticipate in 2023 may temporarily ease labor shortages. We see some signs of softening labor markets with job openings and voluntary quits declining over the last few months after record highs in March 2022. Declining worker mobility could reduce job satisfaction in the coming 12 to 24 months. In the medium and long term, however, changing demographics and restricted immigration will likely expand skill and talent shortages.”