Swiss are among the happiest workers in Europe
Dutch, Polish and Swiss employees show the highest values when it comes to job satisfaction. Italy brings up the rear.
According to a new study by ADP, specialists in payroll and HR management solutions, workers employed in Spain, the Netherlands and Poland report the highest levels of job satisfaction. For the study "The Employee View in Europe 2017." nearly 10,000 European adult workers were asked what they thought about the future of work, international competition and talent management.
Where do the happiest employees work?
These five European countries have the highest levels of job satisfaction:
- Netherlands (76%)
- Poland (74%)
- Switzerland (73%)
- Spain (71%)
- United Kingdom, France and Germany (68%)
Despite high job satisfaction, 86% of Polish workers would consider a career opportunity in another country, compared to 54% of respondents in France, who generally report lower satisfaction and optimism than Polish workers.
These results are interesting in terms of employment figures. For example, unemployment is staggeringly high at 18.9% in Spain. High job satisfaction is likely a direct result of comparative job security.
German employees are the most confident about the future of work. 83% of them are optimistic. The UK recorded the largest decline compared to last year (76% vs. 81%). As the UK is one of the strongest economies in Europe with high employment levels, the result of the EU referendum can probably be attributed to this drop.
Demographic change
Younger workers tend to exhibit higher levels of optimism, with 85% of 16-24 year olds optimistic about the future of work, compared to an overall average of 78%. This drops to 72% in the 55+ age group - suggesting that optimism declines with age.
Meanwhile, the telecommunications and IT industry is emerging as the most satisfied industry of all. 79% of workers report being satisfied. In contrast, only 65% of workers in the retail, hospitality and leisure industries reported being satisfied.
Sebastien Moyon, Service Delivery Director at ADP Switzerland, comments: "It is positive to see that satisfaction is generally high in Europe, indicating that most people are engaged in their work and feel fulfilled. In industries and countries with lower outcomes, it is important to act to improve working life. It has long been recognized that employee satisfaction has a great impact on production. Organizations need to make sure their employees are happy, engaged and satisfied in their roles."
About the study
The study "The Employee View in Europe 2017" looks at employees' attitudes toward the future of work. The study was conducted by the independent research institute Opinion Matters on behalf of ADP in July 2016. The sample included 9,920 working adults from eight European countries (France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Switzerland and the United Kingdom).
