Job-related well-being in Britain: first findings from the Skills and Employment Survey 2012

Happiness at work is an important ingredient of national well-being. It can be measured in two core dimensions – ‘enthusiasm’ for, and ‘contentment’ with, the job. In both these dimensions, job-related well-being in British workplaces fell between 2006 and 2012. There was a small drop in the average population-wide score on the Enthusiasm scale, and a sharp fall in the score on the Contentment scale. The fall in the Enthusiasm scale was only for men, and greatest among those with low education achievements. The falls can partly be accounted for by rising insecurity, work intensification, and increased downsizing. There was also a notable rise in Job Stress, and a fall in Job Satisfaction