Job Satisfaction

short readsMar 31, 2025

Blue-collar workers are less satisfied at work, less attached to their jobs than other U.S. workers

Among blue-collar workers, 43% say they feel extremely or very satisfied with their jobs; by comparison, 53% of other workers express this level of satisfaction.
short readsNov 13, 2023

Most American workers say their boss is capable, confident and fair

55% of U.S. workers say their manager or supervisor is excellent or very good to work for.
short readsJun 30, 2023

Self-employed people in the U.S. are more likely than other workers to be highly satisfied with their jobs

Most self-employed workers (62%) say they are extremely or very satisfied with their job, compared with 51% of those who are not self-employed.
short readsMay 25, 2023

Young workers express lower levels of job satisfaction than older ones, but most are content with their job

Young workers express general contentment with many aspects of work; personal connections like relationships with co-workers stand out.
reportMar 30, 2023

How Americans View Their Jobs

Most workers are highly satisfied with their relationship with their co-workers and manager, but relatively few feel the same about their pay or opportunities for promotion.
short readsMar 9, 2022

Majority of workers who quit a job in 2021 cite low pay, no opportunities for advancement, feeling disrespected

Workers who quit a job in 2021 say low pay (63%), no opportunities for advancement (63%) and feeling disrespected at work (57%) were reasons why.
short readsNov 20, 2018

Americans who find meaning in these four areas have higher life satisfaction

Four topics are universally associated with higher levels of life satisfaction: a person’s good health, romantic partner, friends and career.
reportJan 9, 2014

Why it’s Great to Be the Boss

America’s bosses are more satisfied with their family life, jobs and overall financial situation than are non-managerial employees. Bosses are also significantly more likely than workers to think of their job as a career rather than just a job to get them by.
reportSep 10, 2012

A Third of Americans Now Say They Are in the Lower Classes

The percentage of Americans who say they are in the lower-middle or lower class has risen from a quarter of the adult population to about a third in the past four years, according to a national survey of 2,508 adults by the Pew Research Center. Not only has the lower class grown, but its demographic […]
reportAug 31, 2012

Public Says a Secure Job Is the Ticket to the Middle Class

Americans believe that having a secure job is by far the most important requirement for being in the middle class, easily trumping homeownership and a college education, according to a new nationwide Pew Research Center survey of 2,508 adults. Nearly nine-in-ten adults (86%) say a person needs a secure job to be considered part of […]