HRreview Header

Under-25s ‘most satisfied at work’

Under-25s 'most satisfied at work'Britons aged either under 25 or over 60 have been found to be the most satisfied in their working lives, new research has found.

The study by Quality of Work Life called this trend the “pre-retirement bounce” – with both age groups rating their work-related quality of life well above 3.5.

However, the same survey also shows that the gap between male and female job satisfaction become a lot narrower as their relative ages increase.

Researchers believe this may be due to the prospect of a higher pension for men to enjoy, along with the opportunity to concentrate more on hobbies, while women have less flexibility while they work and feel once they retire they will be bound to domestic duties.

Commenting on the research, Mike Emmot, advisor on public policy at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the survey’s pre-retirement bounce was “not surprising”.

“We’ve done work on employee attitudes and it shows that when you’re measuring things like satisfaction, it tends to start high when young people join the labour market in their early twenties but then it tends to fall off […] pretty rapidly,” he explained.

Mr Emmot added that by the time people reach their fifties, they are likely to have either achieved or failed to achieve their earlier career aspirations.

 

absencepagebanner

Share

Latest News

Latest Analysis

Related Articles

‘One in two’ applicants use AI tools to write CVs, data suggests

AI tools have become a regular part of the job application process, with 53 percent of candidates having used AI-powered tools to help write their CVs.

Employee engagement rising but ‘workplace disparities remain’

Overall employee engagement levels in the UK have risen for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic - but disparities remain.

The restless generation amid burnout, career breaks and job moves

Concerns around health, wellbeing and a desire for flexibility are changing the working habits and attitudes of younger workers.

Keir Starmer on Linking Immigration to Domestic Skills Investment

"If employers want to bring workers from overseas, then they must also invest in the skills of workers already in Britain."