Your level of education helps determine your job satisfaction, according to research out of Spain. Santiago Burdria of the University of Madeira and his research team studied almost 5,000 employees and discovered that better-educated workers were 2 percentage points more likely than their peers to be dissatisfied at work. What factors drive these changes?
Those with secondary and tertiary education were more likely to report that they were less satisfied with their jobs. Immigrants, singles, employees with bad health or lengthy unemployment periods, and those who live in larger households also reported lower job satisfaction levels.
Conversely, public sector employees, those with supervisory roles and workers who put in fewer hours per week than the average were more likely to report higher levels of job satisfaction. Older workers, employees with permanent contracts, and those with employer-provided housing or health insurance were also happier with their jobs.
Researchers are increasingly studying job satisfaction and the many factors that drive employee motivation, and for good reason. One's sense of fulfillment at work contributes to their overall happiness, health and life satisfaction. Studies have even linked job satisfaction to productivity, wage growth, absenteeism, retention and organizational performance.
Are you surprised that education plays a key role in job satisfaction?
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