This marks a record low in the past eight years. Here’s why
Singaporean workers are tech-savvy, highly productive, and – according to a new survey by JobsCentral – largely unhappy. The leading online job portal found that roughly one in two (46.8%) Singaporean workers is unhappy, the lowest score in the last eight years.
Editorial workers were among the happiest surveyed, followed closely by those in Public Relations, Marketing, Research & Development, and Legal. In stark contrast were workers in Compliance, Administrative, Management, and Merchandising, who came in last.
Across age groups, workers in the 16-20 range were ranked highest in average happiness, while those between 41-60 years old were unhappiest. The survey concluded that workers were, on average, happiest at the start of their careers. Based on their results, it’s all downhill from there.
Looking into the reasons behind this widespread dissatisfaction, the survey found that low salaries are the main cause of unhappiness in the workplace. This is followed by poor work-life balance, colleague relations, boring work, and unacceptable work demands.
"The survey results suggest that the majority of the respondents may perceive that they are being underpaid,” said Sam Ng, managing director at CareerBuilder Singapore.
While unemployment and job insecurity are leading causes of stress for working age Singaporeans, the University of Manchester recently found that those employed in low-paying or highly stressful jobs may be even less healthy than those who are unemployed.
“This can potentially have a huge impact on the engagement level of employees, and lead to a highly unmotivated workforce if left unaddressed,” Ng said. “Employers should gather feedback from their staff and together develop an ideal compensation package to boost overall happiness at work."
Related stories:
Why are Singaporeans so unhappy with their employers?
Is stress literally killing your employees?
Editorial workers were among the happiest surveyed, followed closely by those in Public Relations, Marketing, Research & Development, and Legal. In stark contrast were workers in Compliance, Administrative, Management, and Merchandising, who came in last.
Across age groups, workers in the 16-20 range were ranked highest in average happiness, while those between 41-60 years old were unhappiest. The survey concluded that workers were, on average, happiest at the start of their careers. Based on their results, it’s all downhill from there.
Looking into the reasons behind this widespread dissatisfaction, the survey found that low salaries are the main cause of unhappiness in the workplace. This is followed by poor work-life balance, colleague relations, boring work, and unacceptable work demands.
"The survey results suggest that the majority of the respondents may perceive that they are being underpaid,” said Sam Ng, managing director at CareerBuilder Singapore.
While unemployment and job insecurity are leading causes of stress for working age Singaporeans, the University of Manchester recently found that those employed in low-paying or highly stressful jobs may be even less healthy than those who are unemployed.
“This can potentially have a huge impact on the engagement level of employees, and lead to a highly unmotivated workforce if left unaddressed,” Ng said. “Employers should gather feedback from their staff and together develop an ideal compensation package to boost overall happiness at work."
Related stories:
Why are Singaporeans so unhappy with their employers?
Is stress literally killing your employees?
