Job satisfaction greater among educated workers

Čadová, Naděžda

Přehled

Článek

Job satisfaction greater among educated workers

Publikováno: 20 December 2006

Naděžda Čadová

Kvalita práce

In September 2006, in one of its regular surveys, the Public Opinion Research Centre (Centrum pro výzkum verejného mínení, CVVM [1]) of the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Sociologický ústav Akademie ved Ceské republiky, SoU AV CR [2]) focused in more detail on the topic of job satisfaction. Each of the 516 economically active respondents, was asked the following question: ‘How satisfied are you with your current job?’[1] http://www.cvvm.cas.cz/index.php?lang=1[2] http://www.soc.cas.cz/info/en/1/About-the-Institute.html

In the Czech Republic, the proportion of people who are generally satisfied with their job significantly exceeds the proportion of those who are dissatisfied. However, the proportion of persons satisfied with their job differs substantially according to the level of education that they have attained and the occupational position that they hold. These are the findings of a recent survey by the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences.

In September 2006, in one of its regular surveys, the Public Opinion Research Centre (Centrum pro výzkum verejného mínení, CVVM) of the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (Sociologický ústav Akademie ved Ceské republiky, SoU AV CR) focused in more detail on the topic of job satisfaction. Each of the 516 economically active respondents, was asked the following question: ‘How satisfied are you with your current job?’

Figure: Overall job satisfaction (%)

Note: The percentages are rounded, with the result that the less than 1% proportion of ‘very dissatisfied’ people shows as 0%.

Source: ‘Our Society’, CVVM, 2006

Overall job satisfaction (%)

According to the survey, two thirds of economically active Czech citizens (66%) are satisfied with their job: 20% of the surveyed population stated that they are ‘very satisfied’ and 46% replied that they are ‘rather satisfied’ (see Figure). About three out of 10 economically active Czechs (29%) are neither satisfied nor dissatisfied. Only 5% of economically active Czechs are dissatisfied with their job and less than 1% are ‘very dissatisfied’.

Impact of education and occupation level

In the assessment of overall job satisfaction, a relatively substantial difference emerges between individual groups of employees. Satisfaction levels increase with educational attainment. Some 83% of respondents with a university education and 72% of respondents who have completed secondary school education express satisfaction with their job. Conversely, respondents with a lower level of education do not express such high levels of satisfaction. A total of 60% of respondents who did not graduate from secondary school are satisfied with their job, and the same is true for just 39% of respondents with only a basic school education.

The proportion of those satisfied also differed among respondents according to the position held at their current place of employment. Entrepreneurs and people in management positions are the categories most often satisfied in their work. The differences between age groups and between the sexes were found to be statistically insignificant.

Satisfaction with various aspects of job

All of the survey participants were given the opportunity to express satisfaction or dissatisfaction with different aspects of their job.

**Table: Satisfaction with various aspects of job (%)**
Satisfaction with various aspects of job (%)
	Very satisfied	Rather satisfied	Rather dissatisfied	Very dissatisfied	/-
Use of your expertise	26	55	13	4	81/17
Relationships with people at work	21	60	16	3	81/19
Interest in work	28	51	18	3	79/21
Length of working hours, shift work	20	58	17	4	78/21
Your superior	17	58	18	6	75/24
Organisation of work	13	61	22	4	74/26
Environment and furnishings/equipment	12	61	23	3	73/26
Difficulty of work	12	60	23	4	72/27
Care of employees by employer	8	59	27	5	67/32
Job security	13	51	19	7	64/26
Salary	7	51	35	7	58/42
Possibility of advancement (promotion)	3	29	44	15	32/59
Possibility of salary increase	3	26	47	17	29/64

Note: When the ‘I don’t know’ answers are added, the total for each variable amounts to 100%.

Source: ‘Our Society’, CVVM, 2006.

About eight out of 10 working Czechs are satisfied with the following factors: the way their expertise is employed at work (81%); the relationships with people at work (81%); how interesting their work is (79%); and the length of their working hours (78%). Economically active Czechs are for the most part satisfied in other areas of their working life as well. About three quarters of respondents stated that they are satisfied with their superior (75%), with the way work is organised at their workplace (74%), with their work environment (73%), and with the level of difficulty of their work (72%). Two thirds of Czech citizens are satisfied with the way they are cared for by their employer (67%) and with their job security (64%). Furthermore, more than half of the respondents (58%) stated that they are satisfied with their salary.

However, in the Czech work environment, many more people are dissatisfied (59%) than satisfied (32%) with their advancement or promotional prospects. The greatest level of dissatisfaction is apparent with respect to the prospect of a salary increase: only 29% of economically active Czechs are satisfied in this regard while almost two thirds (64%) are dissatisfied.

Trends in job satisfaction

This is not the first time that CVVM has looked at job satisfaction. Since 2002, survey respondents have been asked each year to assess satisfaction or dissatisfaction with various aspects of their work. A time comparison suggests that the job satisfaction of economically active Czechs is increasing in the majority of sectors surveyed. Compared with previous years, more people are now satisfied with the use of their professional expertise, the difficulty of their work, the length of their working hours, the care provided by their employer, their job security and their salary.

Nadežda Cadová, Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic

Eurofound doporučuje citovat tuto publikaci následujícím způsobem.

Eurofound (2006), Job satisfaction greater among educated workers, article.