Job satisfaction affects sense of meaning and purpose, social cohesion, mental health, financial well-being, and productivity
Despite challenges such as high interest rates and inflation, the majority of Canadians are satisfied with their jobs, says research from Statistics Canada. Overall, 80 percent of Canadians aged 15 to 69 years rated their level of job satisfaction from seven to 10, with 7.7 out of 10 being the average level of satisfaction.
The report says that levels of job satisfaction can reflect meaningful differences in working conditions and the compatibility of the person and their job. As an indicator featured in Canada’s Quality of Life Framework, job satisfaction has a relationship with one’s level of life satisfaction, sense of meaning and purpose, social cohesion, mental health, financial well-being, and productivity.
Mail distribution workers and transport drivers least satisfied with their jobs
Workers in occupations related to mail distribution, road transport, and sales support were among the least satisfied with their job. This included workers in mail and message distribution occupations (6.9 out of 10 average) and transport drivers, operators, and labourers (7.0 out of 10).
Employees in sales support occupations – covering cashiers, service station attendants and similar occupations – had among the lowest average hourly wages. Workers in this group also had a relatively low level of job satisfaction (7.1 out of 10).
Nurses and allied health professionals, as well as workers in assisting occupations in support of health services (including nurse aides, orderlies, and patient service associates), both posted a below-average job satisfaction score (7.4 out of 10 each). Wage growth among nurses has lagged behind the national average in recent years, and nurses were particularly likely to have experienced higher levels of stress during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sports and middle management workers most satisfied
Workers who reported some of the highest average levels of job satisfaction were those working in sports (8.9 out of 10), middle management occupations in production and agriculture (8.5 out of 10), technical equipment operation (8.5 out of 10) and legislative and senior management occupations (8.5 out of 10).
Self-employed workers with employees also reported high levels of job satisfaction. Part of the appeal of being self-employed is the opportunity to be your own boss and to choose when and how much you work.
On average, self-employed workers (8.1 out of 10) were more likely to be satisfied with their job compared with both private sector (7.7 out of 10) and public sector (7.7 out of 10) employees. However, self-employed workers with employees – a group of workers who often operate larger, and more stable businesses – were more satisfied with their jobs on average (8.5 out of 10) than self-employed workers without employees (7.9 out of 10).
Household financial difficulties creates more dissatisfaction
Sometimes, it is not just working conditions and wages that matter, but also what a person wants or seeks to obtain from their job, says the research. For example, workers who were working part-time involuntarily had lower average levels of satisfaction (6.8 out of 10) in October 2023 compared with other part-time workers (7.7 out of 10).
Although employees who are paid more tend to have higher levels of job satisfaction, lower wages may be an even greater source of dissatisfaction for employees whose household finds it difficult to meet its basic financial needs. Lower wages may be of less concern to an employee living in a household where another person has high earnings.
On average, levels of satisfaction ranged from 7.4 out of 10 among employees with weekly earnings in the bottom 10 percent to 8.0 out of 10 among those with earnings in the top 10 percent.
By comparison, a more pronounced difference in average job satisfaction levels was observed for workers living in a household experiencing financial difficulty. In October 2023, almost one in 10 Canadians (9.3 percent) were living in a household that found it very difficult to meet their financial needs in terms of housing, transportation, food, clothing, and other necessary expenses within the previous month. For employees living in a household facing such challenges, their average level of job satisfaction was 6.9 out of 10, compared with 8.1 out of 10 among those who lived in a household that found it very easy to meet its financial needs.
Agility, courage, and trust can build satisfied teams
Research from Nestlé shows that to build and maintain satisfied teams, Canadian workplaces need a foundation of agility, courage, and trust.
According to Nestlé's survey of over 1,100 Canadian professionals between 20 and 35, an overwhelming majority of them (93 percent) want to work for an organization that is agile, meaning it supports quick and flexible decision making. Most Gen Z and Millennials also feel they can do a better job when they are trusted at work.
An even larger number – 96 percent – say the best organizations to work for are those that reward courage and allow employees to share new and bold ideas. Courage is one of the key attributes employees want but are not finding at work, with only 55 percent feeling their current employer embraces these principles.
Opportunity exists to redefine the Canadian workplace
While agility, courage and trust are trending high on Canadian workers' wish lists, these expectations might not be fully realized yet, uncovering an opportunity to redefine Canadian workplaces of the future, and an unmet need to build cultures rooted in these factors, says the Nestlé report.
Additionally, Gen Z and Millennial Canadians are more satisfied and willing to stay in their job when agility, courage, and trust are central to their working environment.
Among the professionals who are contemplating leaving their current positions, over three quarters (77 percent) say their employer is not agile. Similarly, 78 percent of those say their current workplace falls short in promoting courage, and 72 percent say they're not given the level of trust that they need.
"In this constantly changing marketplace, the need for agility and courageous action is greater than ever. These attributes aren't just aspirations for employees; they're what they expect from their employers and the culture they want to immerse themselves in. Leaders must invest and proactively shape the culture within their companies, or they will not be able to attract and retain the top talent of today and tomorrow," says Carmichael. "The results of our surveys affirm that our approach – founded on agility, courage, and trust – resonates with our employees and aligns with the evolving expectations of Gen Z and Millennials who seek empowering and inclusive workplace cultures."
