By Jessica Legge
FAIRMONT — According to SnagAJob.com, American employees are a little happier at work.
“We’re so excited, especially because we’re in the job industry and we’re helping people find jobs that they’re happy in,” Heather Moose, senior marketing manager for SnagAJob.com, said.
SnagAJob.com is the country’s largest hourly job Web site. The site provides job seekers with part-time and full-time hourly jobs in a variety of industries, and people can apply directly for positions online.
For the second year, SnagAJob.com commissioned a survey — called the Labor Happiness Index — that explored the overall happiness of employed Americans. SnagAJob.com focuses on hourly workers, and its surveys find out what these employees are thinking and feeling, Moose said.
IPSOS Public Affairs, a third-party research company, conducted the telephone survey for SnagAJob.com between July 17 and 31. More than 1,000 employed workers, both hourly and salaried, were interviewed.
Workers ages 18 and up answered questions on the phone about how happy they were at work. Compared to last year, the Labor Happiness Index had a slight increase overall in the nation, Moose said.
The study reported that 65 percent — or nearly two-thirds — of American workers are happy on the job, which is up from the 61 percent recorded last year. Moose said West Virginia, considered in this survey as South, mirrors the national trend of a slight increase in happiness at work.
The research found that people living in the West are happier in their jobs than those in the Northeast, but both regions saw an increase in positive feelings about work. Also, 74 percent of employees ages 55 and up expressed that they’re content in their jobs.
Moose said happier workers are more productive, and companies become more productive as a result. She believes overall worker happiness has gone up in the country for two reasons.
“There are a lot of workers who genuinely enjoy what they do every day,” she said. “It could be up because people realize that it’s been such a tough year. People are feeling the pinch this year. People are happy that they’re employed, and they like the job.”
SnagAJob.com initially expected worker happiness to be down a little bit because of the economy, Moose said.
Fifty-seven percent of study participants declared that they thought the economy — rather than health care or war — was the No. 1 issue facing the nation today. Last year, only 18 percent named the economy as their major concern.
Moose said the survey also asked participants about the transportation they use for work and if it’s changed. Car is still the main mode of transportation for 84 percent of working Americans. However, 26 percent have changed their commuting habits some in response to high gas prices.
In addition, the study touched on the upcoming presidential election. Forty percent of employed workers said they will vote for Barack Obama, while 32 percent answered that they will go with John McCain. Three percent said they plan to cast their vote for someone else. Also, 11 percent haven’t yet decided on their choice, and 13 percent said they either will not vote or are ineligible.
“We just want to continually keep in touch with worker happiness and their everyday lives,” Moose said. “It’s just interesting data to compare every year.”
“People are happy, and it’s great.”
E-mail Jessica Legge at jlegge@timeswv.com.
