Why Can’t Companies Retain Employees?
Despite ongoing economic uncertainty and a slowing labor market, more than half of employees are still job hunting. What’s driving this behavior, and how can companies respond?
In This Post:
Job satisfaction is critical to overall life fulfillment. Employees who are satisfied with their jobs are more likely to stay with their present employer. Therefore, businesses must recognize the value of employee engagement and implement HR software that can help them to retain top personnel. Here are the current job satisfaction statics that may provide insights:
General Job Satisfaction Statistics
- In the United States, 65% of employees are pleased with their jobs. (Statista, 2019)
- In the United States, only 20% of employees feel enthusiastic about their jobs. (Leftronic, 2021)
- 60% of employees feel that their coworkers are the most crucial factor in their job satisfaction. (SHRM, 2021)
- Firms with high employee satisfaction outperform companies with poor satisfaction by 202%. (Gallup, 2017)
- 49% of employees are satisfied with their present position. (SHRM, 2021)
- Before becoming managers, 58% of managers said they received no training. (Career Builder, 2011)
- 33% of employees leave their jobs for new challenges. (Korn Ferry, 2018)
- Only 29% of employees are satisfied with their available career advancement opportunities. (SHRM, 2017)
- For 60% of US workers, the commute to work has a significant influence on job satisfaction. (Prnewswire, 2019)
- According to 43% of respondents in a global happiness study, having meaningful work or employment is the most significant source of pleasure. (Ipsos, 2020)
- Job satisfaction increased from 42.6% in 2010 to 56.9% in 2020, the highest in 20 years. (Conference-board.org, 2020)
- 45% of Generation Y (Millennials) are content with their current job/career path. (La Salle, 2019)
- In the United States, 74% of employees feel that corporate culture is one of the most important elements influencing job happiness. (Builtin, 2021)
- 57% of people who work from home are content with their jobs. (CNBC, 2020)
- 55% of Americans report feeling exhausted at work. (Stress.org, 2019)
- 44% of women in the United States would leave their jobs for greater flexibility. (Take The Lead Women, 2021)
- As of April, 72% of white-collar employees in the United States were still working from home, compared to 14% of blue-collar workers. (Gallup, 2021)
- Four out of ten white-collar professionals, including more than half of computer and mathematical jobs, choose to work from home. (Gallup, 2021)
- Half of US employees are highly satisfied with their job overall. (Pew Research Center, 2023)
- Workers aged 65 or older are the most satisfied with their job (66%), compared to 55% of those 50 to 64, 51% of those 30 to 49, and 44% of those 18 to 29. (Pew Research Center, 2023)
- 57% of upper-income workers are very satisfied with their job overall, compared to 51% of middle-income and 45% of low-income workers. (Pew Research Center, 2023)
- Among the top aspects Americans are very satisfied with at work is their relationship with colleagues (67%), their relationship with managers or supervisors (62%), and their commute (51%). (Pew Research Center, 2023)
- At the bottom of the list of aspects they are satisfied with are how much workers are paid (34%) and promotion opportunities (33%). (Pew Research Center, 2023)
- 60% of Canadians are satisfied at work, the highest in a decade. (The Conference Board, 2022)
- 42% of workers report feeling “pretty good” or excellent at work. The remaining 40% say they feel “okay.” (Flex Jobs, 2022)
Salary, Engagement, Feedback & Job Satisfaction Statistics
- 43% of engaged employees receive weekly feedback. (Gallup, 2021)
- Only 12% of people leave their jobs to make more money. (HR Daily Advisor, 2006)
- Only 36% of employees are engaged in the workplace. (Gallup, 2020)
- A highly engaged workforce increases profitability by 21%.(Gallup, 2018)
- Employee disengagement costs the U.S. economy $450-550 billion every year. (Gallup, 2013)
- Recognition is the most important motivator for 37% of employees. (Cincinnati, 2020)
- 51% of employees are “not engaged” at work, while 13% are actively disengaged. (Gallup, 2020)
- Employee engagement sits at 36%, which is greater than any level since Gallup began tracking employee engagement in 2000. (Gallup, 2020)
- Since 2000, the percentage of actively disengaged employees has been at its lowest. (Gallup, 2020)
- Half of the American workers find their job enjoyable and fulfilling most of the time. (Pew Research Center, 2023)
- 21% of employees are engaged at work, a one percent rise from the year before. (Gallup, 2022)
- Only 15% of employees are highly engaged at work. Half say they are “somewhat” or “not engaged” at work. (Flex Jobs, 2022)
Company culture and Job Satisfaction Statistics
- 79% of US employees value company culture. (HRDive, 2019)
- 38% of remote employees feel exhausted after daily virtual meetings. (Twingate, 2020)
- 85% of employees are most motivated when internal communications are effective. (HRcloud, 2021)
- Companies with a thriving corporate culture achieve over 4x higher revenue growth. (Forbes, 2011)
Job Satisfaction Statistics by Profession
- Surprisingly, only 22%, 21%, and 20% of physicians in the United States, United Kingdom, and Mexico, respectively, are satisfied with their jobs because they think they are making the world a better place. (Statista, 2021)
- With a Bliss Score of 4.125, teaching assistant is the happiest job position in the United States. (World Science Jobs, 2021)
- In the United States, 27% of rheumatologists are satisfied with what they do or with discovering solutions and diagnoses. (Medscape, 2020)
- 38% of doctors say the appreciation of their patients is the most gratifying aspect of their job. (Medscape, 2020)
- Being good at what they do brings satisfaction to 26% of dermatologists in the United States. (Medscape, 2020)
- 81% of legal personnel find their jobs dull and unsatisfying. (Emolument, 2017)
- An overwhelming 56% of young healthcare professionals want artificial intelligence to be included into their employment, thus increasing their workplace happiness. (Philips, 2020)
- 65% of developers worldwide are either very pleased or slightly satisfied with their jobs. (Stack Overflow, 2020)
- 51.3% of developers worldwide think that languages, frameworks, and other technologies used for work are the most essential employment factors. (Stack Overflow, 2020)
- Moreover, half of the developers polled indicated that corporate culture is the most crucial aspect of their job. (Stack Overflow, 2020)
- 54% of pilots want to change careers within the following year. (FlightGlobal, 2021)
- Accounting is ranked as the unhappiest job in the United States, with a BlissScore of 1.788. (CareerBliss, 2018)
- The five most meaningful and least meaningful jobs. (Payscale)
| Top 5 Most Meaningful Jobs | 5 Least Meaningful Jobs |
|---|---|
| Clergy – 98% | Parking lot attendants – 5% |
| English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary – 96% | Gaming supervisors – 20% |
| Surgeons – 96% | Prepress technicians and workers – 25% |
| Directors, Religious Activities and Education – 96% | Title examiners, abstractors, and searchers – 25% |
| Education Administrators, Elementary and Secondary School – 95% | Fabric and apparel patternmakers – 25% |
- Top 10 Jobs with the highest satisfaction. (Glassdoor, 2019)
- The top three most satisfying jobs for 2021 are Realtor, Corporate Recruiter, and Back End Engineer. (Glassdoor, 2021)
- The three jobs in the U.S. with the highest median base salaries in 2019 were Physicians at $193,415, Pharmacy Managers at $144,768, and Dentists at $142,478. (Glassdoor, 2019)
- The top three best locations in 2020 for finding jobs with the highest satisfaction were Pittsburgh, PA, Raleigh, NC, and Indianapolis. (Glassdoor, 2020)
| Top 10 Jobs with Highest Satisfaction (Glassdoor, 2019) |
|---|
| Recruiting manager – 4.6 |
| Sales operations manager – 4.5 |
| Product designer – 4.5 |
| Marketing assistant – 4.3 |
| Construction manager – 4.3 |
| Brand manager – 4.3 |
| Data scientist – 4.3 |
| Customer success manager – 4.2 |
| HR coordinator – 4.2 |
- According to Glassdoor, the top five most satisfying jobs in 2022 are corporate recruiter, realtor, HR manager, machine learning engineer, and full stack engineer. (Glassdoor, 2022)
- Washington Post’s research found that the agriculture, logging and forestry, real estate, rental and leasing, and construction industries have the highest rates of self-reported satisfaction. (Washington Post, 2023)
- Research by StudyFinds shows that the top five most satisfying careers are physical therapist, firefighter, teacher, teaching assistant, and QA analyst. (StudyFinds, 2023)
Conclusion
The job satisfaction statistics above show that employee engagement and proper payroll management are crucial drivers for happiness at work.
Workers feel content as long as they feel engaged, appreciated, and compensated accordingly. When they are satisfied, the company benefits significantly due to increased efficiency and productivity.
Written by Shortlister Editorial Team
HRIS Systems
Browse our curated list of vendors to find the best solution for your needs.
Stay Informed
Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest trends, expert tips, and workplace insights!
Related Posts
Regular Recognition Through Inexpensive Team Gifts
Recognition, as a concept, rarely suffers from a lack of enthusiasm. However, when it comes to execution, too many organizations default to doing nothing at all because the budget feels too tight to justify.
The Consequences of the Sharp Decline in Employee Loyalty
When the modern workplace is increasingly transactional, is employee loyalty just outdated? Explore the meaning of employee loyalty in the workplace and what’s truly needed to keep valuable employees.
How Employment Engagement Can Help Your Company
Discover how effective employee engagement drives productivity, retention, and profitability. Learn proven strategies to build a happier, more engaged workforce.