18 Captivating Employee Satisfaction Statistics and Trends

The saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life,” suggests the road to job satisfaction is a simple one. But is anything ever really that easy? The numerous employee satisfaction statistics about how workers feel toward their employee experience, job specifications, and the organization they belong to seem to disagree.

If you are interested in recent employee satisfaction trends and many other topic-related insights, you’re in the right place. The data we assembled will help you better comprehend the significance of job satisfaction, how it varies across different professions, and the current job engagement trends in the global labor market.

Job Satisfaction Statistics by Profession and Among Organizations

Work occupies a considerable amount of our time, and helps us define who we are as individuals. It impacts not only our social standing but also our physical and mental health. Therefore, it’s fair to state that work plays a crucial role in many people’s lives, and satisfaction with a specific job represents an essential component of general well-being. 

1. The clergy with an 87% and firefighters with an 80% job satisfaction rate are the happiest professionals.

(Live Science) 

A general job satisfaction statistics analysis involving 27,000 randomly selected US respondents showed that the most satisfying jobs are careers involving caring, protecting, and educating others.

Across all professions, on average, 47% of respondents declared themselves satisfied with their job, while 33% said they feel very happy. 

2. A recent study shows that an overwhelming majority of US teachers (90%) agree or strongly agree that they are content with their jobs.

(K-12 Dive)

According to the recent Teaching and Learning International Survey, US teachers reported the highest job satisfaction rate among their international peers - 90% - leaving behind France, Japan, and the United Kingdom.

Also, it is fascinating that 36% of US teachers agree or strongly agree that society values their job, while just 26% of their fellow colleagues from OECD countries share their opinion.

Lastly, US teachers have longer working hours than most of their colleagues from 48 other education programs.

3. The majority of manual laborers, except construction workers, describe their job as ungratifying, with 21% of job satisfaction.

(Live Science)

One of the many exciting employee satisfaction facts comes from the National Opinion Research Center and its recent General Social Survey. According to their results, perceived reputation related to an occupation proved to play an essential role in shaping employee satisfaction. However, not all prestigious professions, including doctors and lawyers, have exceptional happiness ratings and high employee satisfaction statistics.

Still, these esteemed professions still have a markedly higher job satisfaction rate than laborers, excluding construction workers, of whom only 21% are happy with their job.

4. Less than a quarter (24%) of clothing sale workers and packagers are satisfied with their jobs.

(Live Science)

In the category of most dissatisfying jobs, we can find careers in “unskilled,” physical, and service-providing professions (e.g., customer service and food preparation jobs). 

Therefore, at the top of the unhappy-employees statistics list, just under manual laborers, we have apparel clothing sales personnel, packagers, and food-prep personnel, of whom only 24% love their jobs.

5. 34% of respondents from the Construction and Facilities service industries stated that working with great people is the primary source of their satisfaction.

(Hubspot)

Despite the many presumptions and stereotypic beliefs, an Employee Engagement & Satisfaction Across Industries survey uncovered that Construction and Facilities Services workers are the most satisfied professionals.

Furthermore, during the observation, examinees were asked about the reasoning behind their high job satisfaction margin. It’s evident that employee satisfaction facts from the Best Industry Ranking Report broke the mold and caught many by surprise. However, it was even more surprising that 34% of responders selected working with great people as the most critical factor, while excitement related to work and projects only took second place with 19%.

6. Among all US federal government agencies, Nuclear Regulatory Commission employees rank first for employee job satisfaction. 

(Statista)

The federal employee viewpoint survey uncovered interesting data about US job satisfaction statistics across government agencies. The previously mentioned Nuclear Regulatory Commission has 77% of employees who are satisfied with their jobs. Aside from that, NASA and the Department of State are also high-ranking, with 74% and 73% of employee satisfaction, respectively.   

7. The global tech giant Facebook is breaking all records with an outstanding 97% of employees who are highly content with their job.

(Bussiness Insider)

Besides enormous profits, the 16-year-old corporation from Menlo Park, California, can also brag about another exceptional achievement: Facebook is the market leader amidst companies with the highest employee satisfaction. On-site culinary courts, on-the-job doctors and chiropractors, laundry and dry-cleaning services, and many other benefits undoubtedly played a significant part in driving Facebook employee satisfaction to an impressive 97%.

Impressively enough, but still significantly below the social media giant, Salesforce.com and Southern Co. earned second and third place with 90% and 88%.

Employee Engagement Statistics for 2022

Before we check the impressive figures on this topic, we should understand employee engagement and how it impacts an organization. Employee engagement is a concept aiming to comprehend and define the extent to which workers feel passionate about their jobs and how committed they are to an organization.

Engagement levels can have a significant impact on organizational productivity, customer satisfaction, and overall performance. Lastly, while this doesn’t diminish the importance of employee satisfaction, having satisfied workers doesn’t equal having high employee engagement.

8. From 2011 to 2020, the global employee engagement score increased by 9%.

(Statista)

The employee engagement rate has been growing steadily since 2011, when it was 59%. A minor decline occurred only in 2016, dropping from 65% to 63%. The current worldwide employee engagement rate of 68% is the highest score obtained in the last decade.

9. A 6% drop in employee engagement across the US in 2020 came after the country-wide unrest resulting from George Floyd’s murder and the ongoing pandemic.

(Gallup)

Surprisingly, the latest update on the percentage of engaged employees in the US shows the most significant drop in this metric since 2000. Significant contributors to these employee disengagement statistics are, obviously, the worsening of the COVID-19 outbreak and the protests after George Floyd’s murder. Before these world-shaking events, US employee engagement was the highest it had ever been, at 38%.

10. The share of actively disengaged employees in the US was at 14% during 2020.

(Gallup)

By looking over employee engagement statistics in 2021 and the previous years, we can observe how engagement at the workplace evolved. Interestingly, the number of laborers showing up to work without passion and contributing minimum effort did not fluctuate significantly in the last four years. Since the beginning of the 21st century, the highest employee disengagement in the US was recorded in 2007, when the rate was at 20%.

11. Disengaged employees cost US corporations up to $550 billion a year.

(Forbes)

The impact of negative employee engagement statistics can be deadly to many performance outcomes, even more so in challenging times like these. In numbers, the impact engagement has on a company’s bottom line is tremendous, and employers should do everything to stimulate employee’s efforts, loyalty, and overall productivity. Companies that don’t pay attention to this aspect of their business lose half a trillion dollars annually in total.

12. Thoroughly engaged teams contribute to 21% higher profitability.

(Forbes)

According to employment satisfaction statistics, the most successful corporations are likely to treat employee engagement as one of their top priorities and a crucial component of their business strategy. Highly engaged teams achieved absenteeism reduction of 41% and 59% less employee turnover, according to employee retention statistics. Therefore, having passionate and energetic employees who feel the work they do is meaningful is a powerful resource. 

13. India has the highest share of employees who feel their organization’s success is their own - 68%.

(Statista)

Having a sense of accomplishment and being proud of yourself and your work helps workers feel like they are prospering in their careers.

Job satisfaction statistics for 2021 imply that 68% of India’s citizens feel a sense of success from their organization. US employees are ranked second on the same list, with 65% of American job holders feeling that they share in the company’s success.

Other Relevant Career Satisfaction Statistics and Engagement Facts 

The dream of every organization is to have satisfied employees who are passionate and willing to give their best on a daily basis to achieve their company's targets. Achieving high employee satisfaction and engagement is an ongoing process that requires constant monitoring and adjustments.

14. A shocking 77% of employees confessed they experienced burnout at their current job.

(Deloitte)

Employee morale statistics are in close correlation with the rates of engagement and satisfaction at the workplace. However, the myth that being engaged and passionate about the work we do will save us from experiencing stress and burnout is false.

What’s more, it’s essential to mention that 70% of professionals feel their employers took no action to prevent employee burnout within their organization.

15. Close to half (49%) of US workers say they are very satisfied with their work.

(Pew Research Center)

When asked, 50% of interviewees described their job as a career, 18% stated it’s only a stepping stone, while 32% said it is “just a job to get them by.” Therefore, it is fair to state that employee motivation statistics have a lot to do with the way employees perceive their jobs. Another interesting finding is that the share of US workers feeling their job provides them with a sense of identity is 51%.

16. Six in 10 millennials say they are currently in search of a new job.

(Gallup)

Among all generations, millennials are most likely to often change jobs, according to employee retention statistics for 2021. The major issues impacting millennial employee turnover are bad employee-management connections, the inexistence of mobility culture, and lack of accountability.

17. 89% of US employees say that gamification can improve productivity. 

(Statista)

Gamification is the instroduction of gameplay principles in the workplace, including point-scoring, “best employee” contests, and other competitions, all aimed to improve employee engagement and productivity. The majority of the US employees believe this interesting approach leads to better productivity and employee engagement.

18. Employees that feel their voices are heard are 4.6 times more likely to give work their all.

(Forbes)

Happiness and productivity at work statistics tell us that recognition and feedback are of significant importance to employee well-being. However, current trends also imply that workers nowadays prefer having direct communication with their superiors and want to take part in decision making. Therefore, successful organizations with a modern and strong workplace culture are inviting more people to the decision-making table to ensure their voices are heard.

Conclusion - What These Employee Satisfaction Facts Mean for A Business

Satisfaction metrics are a crucial way to gauge how pleased employees are with their employee experience, job specifications, and the organization they belong to. On the other hand, job engagement defines the amount of passion and dedication workers input on a daily basis. Therefore, it’s essential to distinguish between these two interdependent terms. The compiled data allowed us to get a grasp on how job satisfaction is distributed over professions, and what the current job satisfaction and engagement trends inside the US workforce are.