10 UK Job Satisfaction Statistics For 2023 You Need To Know

What do the vast majority of people care about when it comes to their job?

According to a recent study by Indeed, expectations around job satisfaction have increased over the last five years. Almost all (97%) of respondents felt like happiness at work is possible and said that job satisfaction was more important than any other factor when looking for a new position.

How satisfied are the UK employees with their jobs? Let's dive right in.

Top Ten UK Job Satisfaction Statistics

1. UK ranks Top 15 among all countries in the world for job satisfaction

According to a Randstad survey of over 13,000 employees, the UK ranks number 12 in the world among countries with the highest job satisfaction. India came in first place, followed by Mexico and Turkey.

Despite being ranked so high on the job satisfaction list, UK employees still rank the fifth country in the world in job change appetite with only 37% of the surveyed employees saying that they are not actively applying for new jobs.

2. One in three employees in the UK are unhappy in their job

According to Indeed’s Work Happiness Score study, which surveyed more than 1,800 organizations in the United Kingdom across 25 different industries, one-third of workers report being unhappy with their work.

Real estate was the industry that scored the lowest in job satisfaction, followed by management consulting, automotive, and consulting.

3. One in ten employees are unhappy less than six months into a new job

One in every 10 employees starts feeling unhappy less than six months into a new job, Indeed’s Work Happiness Score has shown. This could be due to several reasons, such as not being in the right role, not having the right team, or not feeling valued.

4. Workplace unhappiness impacts three out of four employees

Three-quarters of the British workers surveyed believe that their workplace stress has negatively influenced physical and/or mental health, with 44% losing sleep and 43% being physically diminished, according to Indeed’s Work Happiness Score.

5. Employees would rather be unemployed than unhappy

According to the latest Randstad Workmonitor, every third UK employee (34%) said that they would rather be unemployed than unhappy in their job.

This figure is only slightly higher than the global average of 33% and places the UK in fifth place out of the 28 countries surveyed.

6. Job move improves the feeling of fulfillment

Around three in five British workers aged 18–54 reporting a job move in the last 12 months say that their new jobs are offering greater levels of fulfillment, the CIPD Good Work Index showed.

7. Intention to leave is closely related to reported levels of job satisfaction

According to the latest CIPD Good Work Index, almost half (47%) of those UK employees that plan to quit their job in the next 12 months reported being dissatisfied with their current work (either dissatisfied or very dissatisfied).

8. The lack of job satisfaction is the main reason to quit a job

The pursuit of increased job satisfaction appears to be a primary driver of intention to quit a job for every fourth employee (26%) in the UK.

Increases in job satisfaction are a particular driver for those aged 25–34 (34%) and 45–54 (35%), according to the CIPD Good Work Index.

9. Type of work is the main cause of job satisfaction

The research by Ipsos reveals that the main causes for job satisfaction of UK employees in 2023 are:

• The type of work they do (43%)
• Work-life balance (38%)
• Colleagues (36%)
• How interesting their work is (35%)
• How secure their job is (35%)
• Salary (34%)

10. The best companies to work for are the companies with the happiest employees

According to Glassdoor awards, the companies that have high job satisfaction have the happiest employees.

It shows us that the following companies are voted the top 10 to work for in the UK:

Job satisfaction is predicted to remain high in the United Kingdom compared to the global average over the upcoming years.

This is good news for employees and businesses alike, as a content and fulfilled workforce leads to greater productivity and profitability.

To ensure that your workforce remains satisfied in the years to come, it is important to focus on a strong employee retention strategy to foster a positive work environment and cultivate a company culture that supports employee fulfillment.