Respondents to the survey currently in employment, were asked a series of questions on job satisfaction and pressures of work in their current job. They were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their job as a whole, on a scale of 0 to 10, where 0 is 'not satisfied at all' and 10 is 'completely satisfied'. 

The majority of employees were satisfied with their job – over one quarter (25.9%) were very satisfied, while nearly two thirds (63.0%) were satisfied. One in nine were not happy in their job - one in eleven (9.1%) were dissatisfied (rating of 3-5) while 2.0% were very dissatisfied (rating of 0-2). See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.1.

Job satisfaction was analysed by various pressures that can exist at work – the requirement to work very hard, not having enough time to get everything done in their job and having to work longer hours to get their job done. Analysis of the data collected shows that work pressures impact on a person’s job satisfaction. While employees who are satisfied with their job also work long hours, more people who are dissatisfied in their job experience long hours – nearly nine in ten (88.4%) workers dissatisfied with their job said that they have to work very hard, compared with just short of eight in ten (78%) workers satisfied with their job. Similarly, of employees who were dissatisfied or very dissatisfied (rating of 0-5) with their job, almost six in ten (59.3%) never have enough time to get their job done, compared with 43.6% of workers who are happy in their job. Just short of half (49.1%) of employees dissatisfied with their job have to work more than their formal hours to get the job done, compared with four in ten (40.1%) employees who said that they were satisfied with their job. See Table 2.2 and Figure 2.2.

Respondents were asked if they would turn down a better paid job to stay with their current employer. Half of the respondents said that they would move organisations if offered a better paid job elsewhere. Further analysis by length of service shows that full-time workers with long service were more likely to turn down an offer of a better paid job elsewhere than part-time workers with same service or employees, full and part-time with less service. Just over one in three (35.5%) full-time employees with service of 19 years or more with their current employer would move organisations if offered a better paid job compared with 45.8% of part-time workers with similar service. See Table 2.3.

Employees with less service are more inclined to make the move of taking a better paid job elsewhere – nearly six in ten (57.7%) full-time employees with less than 5 years’ service with their current employer, say that they would move jobs if offered a better paid job. This is also the case for part-time employees – 51.4% with less than 5 years’ service say that they would accept the offer of a better paid job in another organisation. See Table 2.3.

For workers with children, over one third (34.5%) would turn down the opportunity of a better paid job elsewhere, compared with less than three in ten (28.7%) workers with no children. See Table 2.3.

Respondents were asked if they were likely to leave their current job within the next six months (irrespective of any offer of better pay, etc.). Almost one quarter (24.3%) of temporary employees said that they were likely to leave their job within the next six months, more than double the likelihood of their permanent equivalents (12.1%). See Table 2.4 and Figure 2.4.

For part-time workers with short length of service with their current employer, they are nearly twice as likely as their full-time equivalents to leave their organisation in the short term – 24.7% compared with one in seven (13.5%) full-time employees with less than five years’ service. See Table 2.4 and Figure 2.4.

Nearly one in five (18.2%) part-time workers said it was likely they would leave their job for within six months, irrespective of any offer of better pay, etc. The comparative figure for full-time employees is less than one in eight (11.6%). See Table 2.4.

Nearly six in ten (56.1%) employees who are not satisfied with their opportunities for promotion at work, would leave their job if offered a better paid job elsewhere. See Table 2.5.

Over nine in ten (91.6%) self-employed persons who have been working for themselves for more than twenty years, say they are not likely to change their job in the next 6 months. This compares with less than eight in ten (77.9%) self-employed persons who have been self-employed for less than 10 years. One in twenty (5.1%) self-employed persons who are finding it difficult to make ends meet, say it is likely that they will leave their job in the next six months. See Table 2.6 and Figure 2.5.