A nationwide report into work satisfaction in the UK, has revealed people from Nottingham are the least likely to love their work, with over half (51 percent) claiming they are stuck in a dead-end job they loathe. This is especially true for a job where there is little or no chance of career development and advancement into a better position
In addition, workers from Plymouth, Liverpool and Birmingham are also highly likely to be unsatisfied (50 percent), followed by people from Newcastle (47 percent), Sheffield (46 percent), Leicester (45 percent) and Glasgow (44 percent).
Making up the top ten, job hating cities were the hard-working folk of Manchester (43 percent) and Norwich (41 percent).
The list is:
1. Nottingham (51 percent of workers claim to be in a dead-end job they hate)
2. Plymouth – 50 percent
3. Liverpool – 50 percent
4. Birmingham – 50 percent
5. Newcastle Upon Tyne – 47 percent
6. Sheffield – 46 percent
7. Leicester – 45 percent
8. Glasgow – 44 percent
9. Manchester – 43 percent
10. Norwich – 41 percent
These data are drawn from a study of 1,500 workers, commissioned by the Open University.
The research also finds that over one third (36 percent) of workers admit they are desperate to quit their job but they cannot afford to without suitable alternative employment being lined up. With the demographic element, quarter of young people are desperate to quit their current jobs but are struggling to find something else.
For those keen to stay but who are seeking something with more responsibility and pay, a sizable number see this as being out of reach. Here 38 percent say they have lost hope of getting a promotion.
In terms of being unsatisfied with work, 43 percent say they spend every workday clock-watching, while 29 percent admit the end of the weekend is ruined with “Sunday night blues” – the dread of going back to work the following day.
The transition from remote working to onsite working, following the lowering of the coronavirus pandemic measures, has seen 30 percent of workers suggesting that returning to the workplace after working from home made their job worse, with 35 percent confessing they’re missing the flexibility that home working provided.
One of the reasons for a lack of job satisfaction and brewing resentment is due to the poor quality of many jobs together with underlying patterns of conflict between workers and owners. This is despite unemployment being very low; there are jobs around, but these are not necessarily the most fulfilling and alienation at work is apparent. It also stands that 28 percent of workers feel they fell into a career path they cannot alter.
The research also found that on average, working people who are stuck in apparent ‘dead-end jobs’ believe they are only using 39 percent of their full potential.
Professor Tim Blackman, Vice-Chancellor at the Open University tells Digital Journal: “Lots of people know they have the potential to do bigger and better things but are unsure how to access their dream job.”
