Arbeitszufriedenheit
Zufriedene Mitarbeiter*innen sind produktiver, seltener krank und verursachen geringere Sozialkosten. Arbeitszufriedenheit hat aber nicht nur Vorteile für Betriebe. Das Wohlbefinden am Arbeitsplatz ist auch ein wichtiger Indikator für die Qualität der Arbeit selbst. Doch was ist überhaupt Arbeitszufriedenheit? Wie wird sie gemessen? Welche Faktoren und Prozesse fördern, welche schränken sie ein?
Das Thema Arbeitszufriedenheit steht seit Jahrzehnten im Mittelpunkt kritischer wissenschaftlicher Auseinandersetzungen. Die Infoplattform gibt einen Überblick über aktuelle Arbeiten und ausgewählte ältere Publikationen zu theoretischen Ansätzen und empirischen Resultaten der Arbeitszufriedenheitsforschung.
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Literaturhinweis
Can different types of employee involvement in decision-making suppress the effects of work intensification and job insecurity on employee well-being? An analysis of the European Working Conditions Survey 2021 (2026)
Zitatform
Boxall, Peter, Gordon W. Cheung, Md Shamirul Islam, Kenneth Cafferkey & Keith Townsend (2026): Can different types of employee involvement in decision-making suppress the effects of work intensification and job insecurity on employee well-being? An analysis of the European Working Conditions Survey 2021. In: Economic and Industrial Democracy, S. 1-31. DOI:10.1177/0143831x261421726
Abstract
"Work intensification and job insecurity undermine the quality of working life. To what extent can different types of employee involvement in decision-making ameliorate their impacts on employee well-being? Deploying job demands–resources theory and interrogating the European Working Conditions Survey 2021, this study shows that work intensification and job insecurity reduce well-being via lower work engagement and higher exhaustion. While each enhances job quality, individual organizational influence has a greater effect than task discretion in suppressing the negative effects of work intensification. The largest gains for employee and societal well-being will come through greater worker involvement at this level of participation." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Arbeitsbedingungen vor, während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie: Die Beschäftigungsqualität ist weitgehend stabil geblieben (2026)
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Collischon, Matthias, Matthias Kelsch, Alexander Patzina & Felix Rahberger (2026): Arbeitsbedingungen vor, während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie: Die Beschäftigungsqualität ist weitgehend stabil geblieben. (IAB-Kurzbericht 04/2026), Nürnberg, 8 S. DOI:10.48720/IAB.KB.2604
Abstract
"Hat die Covid-19-Pandemie unsere Arbeitswelt nachhaltig verändert? Antworten auf diese zentrale Frage gibt eine eingehende Analyse der Entwicklung verschiedener Dimensionen der Beschäftigungsqualität während und nach der Pandemie. Die Autoren untersuchen in ihrer Studie Zufriedenheit mit dem Lohn, Arbeitsautonomie, Aufstiegschancen, Arbeitsbelastung und Work-Life-Balance. Neben einer umfassenden Betrachtung aller abhängig Beschäftigten liegt ein besonderes Augenmerk auf den sogenannten systemrelevanten Beschäftigten, deren Arbeitsbedingungen während der Pandemie häufig im Mittelpunkt öffentlicher Debatten standen." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
Weiterführende Informationen
- Veränderungen der Beschäftigungsqualität in fünf verschiedenen Dimensionen während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie im Vergleich zu den Jahren vor der Pandemie
- Dimensionen der Beschäftigungsqualität vor Beginn der Pandemie
- Dimensionen der Beschäftigungsqualität
- Veränderungen in objektiven Maßen der Beschäftigungsqualität während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie im Vergleich zu den Jahren vor der Pandemie
- Veränderungen in der Work-Life-Balance nach Teilgruppen während und nach der Covid-19-Pandemie im Vergleich zu den Jahren vor der Pandemie
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Literaturhinweis
The long shadow of labor market entry conditions: Intergenerational determinants of mental health (2026)
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De Vera, Micole, Javier Garcia-Brazales & Jiayi Lin (2026): The long shadow of labor market entry conditions: Intergenerational determinants of mental health. In: Labour Economics, Jg. 98. DOI:10.1016/j.labeco.2025.102843
Abstract
"What determines long-term mental health and its intergenerational correlation? Exploiting variation in unemployment rates upon labor market entry across Australian states and cohorts, we provide novel evidence that the mental health of daughters is affected by the labor market entry conditions of their parents. In particular, a one standard deviation shock to the unemployment rate upon parental labor market entry worsens daughters’ mental health during adolescence by 11% of a standard deviation. This effect is accompanied by lower levels of satisfaction with their health, financial situation, safety, and overall life. A mediation analysis suggests that a sizable proportion (24%) of the impacts on the descendants’ mental health is explained by the worse mental health of their parents at mid-life. We do not detect any systematic impact of parental labor market entry conditions among sons." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Love of the Job: What It Is, How to Measure It, and Why It Matters for Work Outcomes (2026)
Inness, Michelle ; Somerville, Kaylee ; Kelloway, E. Kevin ; Barling, Julian ; Turner, Nick ; Bygrave, Constance E. ; Francis, Lori ; Lyubykh, Zhanna ; Pitfield, Laure E. ;Zitatform
Inness, Michelle, Kaylee Somerville, Zhanna Lyubykh, Nick Turner, E. Kevin Kelloway, Julian Barling, Lori Francis, Laure E. Pitfield & Constance E. Bygrave (2026): Love of the Job: What It Is, How to Measure It, and Why It Matters for Work Outcomes. In: Human Resource Management, Jg. 65, H. 3, S. 925-948. DOI:10.1002/hrm.70055
Abstract
"Employee retention, motivation, performance, and well-being remain enduring priorities in human resource management, yet existing constructs such as engagement, commitment, and satisfaction do not fully capture the depth of emotional attachment that some employees feel towards their jobs. We introduce Love of the Job (LOJ) as a higher-order form of affective attachment to one's job that integrates passion for one's work, non-romantic intimacy with coworkers, and commitment to organizational membership, grounded in Sternberg's triangular theory of love. Across a four-stage, eight-sample program of research (total N = 1,801), we develop and validate a concise and reliable LOJ scale using diverse working-adult samples and longitudinal designs. The measure demonstrates strong psychometric properties and discriminant validity from related constructs, establishing LOJ as a distinct form of work attachment, and shows incremental predictive validity for key outcomes, including discretionary performance, innovation, and job crafting, as well as retention and well-being indicators such as turnover intentions, partial absenteeism, and work neglect. Together, these findings position LOJ as a novel, theoretically grounded construct with strategic relevance for HRM and provide scholars and practitioners with a robust tool to assess and better understand employees' deep emotional attachment to their work." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Does promotion foster career sustainability? A comparative three-wave study on the role of promotion in work stress, job satisfaction, and career-related performance (2026)
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Udayar, Shagini, Ieva Urbanaviciute, Christian Maggiori & Jérôme Rossier (2026): Does promotion foster career sustainability? A comparative three-wave study on the role of promotion in work stress, job satisfaction, and career-related performance. In: International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance, Jg. 26, H. 1, S. 451-477. DOI:10.1007/s10775-024-09694-3
Abstract
"The present study investigates the role of promotion in employees’ happiness (job satisfaction), health (work stress), and career-related performance (perceived employability and career prospects). Positive and negative changes in the above-mentioned career sustainability indicators were investigated over a 2-year period. The promotion subsample (n = 128) was compared with a matched sample of non-promoted employees (n = 150). We also tested the role of gender in responding to a promotion. The findings suggest that the promotion may have equivocal effects on employees’ happiness, health, and career-related performance over time, and therefore does not foster their career sustainability." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © Springer-Verlag) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Job satisfaction and workplace representation in Europe (2025)
Zitatform
Addison, John T. & Paulino Teixeira (2025): Job satisfaction and workplace representation in Europe. In: The Manchester School, Jg. 93, H. 2, S. 123-148. DOI:10.1111/manc.12499
Abstract
"The backdrop to this inquiry into the relationship between worker job satisfaction and workplace representation in European nations is twofold. The first is that the bulk of research has focused on union membership and job satisfaction in Anglophone nations with their very different industrial relations systems and bargaining arrangements. The second and more immediate context is the dramatic shift from negative to positive in the association between union membership and job satisfaction (inter al.) observed in the most recent literature. Using data on 28 European nations from the last two waves of the European Working Conditions Survey, however, we report that workers in establishments with formal workplace representation record lower job satisfaction than their counterparts in plants without such representation. These findings of conditional correlation are then upgraded by constructing a pseudo-panel with cohort fixed effects to take account of unobserved worker heterogeneity. First-difference estimates suggest that the negative relationship between worker representation and job satisfaction found in cross section continues to hold. Next, an endogenous treatment effects model is deployed to address the possible endogeneity of worker representation. The results are supportive of a causal negative relationship between job satisfaction and worker representation. One interpretation of our findings is that in the matter of the association between unions and job satisfaction the jury is still out." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, Published by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Meaning at Work (2025)
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Ashraf, Nava, Oriana Bandiera, Virginia Minni & Luigi Zingales (2025): Meaning at Work. (BFI Working Papers / University of Chicago, Becker Friedman Institute for Research in Economics 2025,67), Chicago, 65 S. DOI:10.2139/ssrn.5253315
Abstract
"We evaluate a firm's unusual, worker-centered, solution to the agency problem: enabling employees to reduce the cost of effort rather than pushing them with performance rewards. We randomize the roll-out of the firm's "Discover Your Purpose" intervention among 2,976 white-collar employees and evaluate their outcomes over two years. We find that performance increases because the low performers either leave the firm or improve in their current jobs. The trade-off between meaning and pay flattens as those with low meaning and high pay leave the firm. Treatment also reshapes stated priorities and reduces gender gaps in preferences and behaviors, including uptake of parental leave. A cost-benefit analysis reveals high returns that are shared between the firm and the employees through higher bonuses. Finally, we show that observational data obscure these gains, causing firms to underestimate the intervention's true value." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Employability as antecedent of eudaimonic wellbeing at work: The mediating role of work meaningfulness (2025)
Zitatform
Davcheva, Marija, Vicente González-Romá, Pascale Le Blanc, Ana Hernández & Inés Tomás (2025): Employability as antecedent of eudaimonic wellbeing at work: The mediating role of work meaningfulness. In: Journal of vocational behavior, Jg. 162. DOI:10.1016/j.jvb.2025.104170
Abstract
"Employee eudaimonic wellbeing is crucial for sustainable performance, health, and quality of work life. However, research is needed to understand what shapes eudaimonic wellbeing at work (EWW), and how and why. Drawing on the self-discovery framework of eudaimonic identity, this study investigated whether employability dimensions (career identity, personal adaptability, and social and human capital) are related to two dimensions of EWW (personal growth at work and purpose in career). Moreover, based on the worker-centric approach to work meaningfulness, we tested whether these relationships are mediated by work meaningfulness. Our study sample consisted of 263 employees. We implemented a longitudinal design with three data collection points. Path analysis results showed that career identity was positively and directly related to both dimensions of wellbeing, whereas social capital and human capital were positively and indirectly related to them via work meaningfulness. Personal adaptability was neither directly nor indirectly related to eudaimonic wellbeing. Our findings advance the theory on antecedents of EEW and its integration with vocational psychology by clarifying how and why employability influences eudaimonic wellbeing at work. The study highlights the importance of employees' employability, specifically career identity, social capital, and human capital, in fostering EWW." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku, © 2025 The Authors.Published by Elsevier Inc.) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Trajectories of job resources and the timing of retirement (2025)
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El Khawli, Elissa, Mark Visser & Mustafa Firat (2025): Trajectories of job resources and the timing of retirement. In: Work, Aging and Retirement, Jg. 11, H. 2, S. 149-161. DOI:10.1093/workar/waae004
Abstract
"Job resources benefit and motivate workers and, therefore, facilitate longer working lives. Yet, little is known about how job resources develop over time and how, in turn, trajectories of job resources are associated with retirement timing. Accordingly, this study examines job resource trajectories of older workers and to what extent these trajectories are related to when people retire. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE), growth mixture models are conducted to examine the trajectory of three job resources, namely autonomy, skill development opportunities and recognition, from age 50 until workers retired or dropped out of the survey. Four trajectories of job resources are found: stable high resources, stable low skill development opportunities, stable low recognition and stable low resources. The results of the subsequent event history analysis of retirement timing show that older workers with trajectories of job resources characterized by stable low recognition and stable low resources are at higher risk of earlier retirement compared to those with other trajectories. The findings shed light on the importance of job resource trajectories for promoting longer working lives." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What an (Un) Favorable Match: Public Sector Employment and the Reversal of the Overeducation-Job Satisfaction Penalty (2025)
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Geißler, Theresa (2025): What an (Un) Favorable Match: Public Sector Employment and the Reversal of the Overeducation-Job Satisfaction Penalty. In: Journal of happiness studies, Jg. 26, H. 6. DOI:10.1007/s10902-025-00926-z
Abstract
"It is a well-documented phenomenon that individuals with higher education than required for their job report lower job satisfaction. However, whether this also applies to public sector employees remains unclear. The German case reveals a negative relationship between overeducation and job satisfaction in the private sector, which is reversed to positive for public sector employees. This holds robust across various empirical alterations. Furthermore, it is revealed that individuals with altruistic motives and a stronger-than-average family orientation drive this positive relationship." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
The Moderating Role of Job Autonomy in the Relationship between the Use of Performance Appraisals and Job Satisfaction (2025)
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Grund, Christian & Anna Nießen (2025): The Moderating Role of Job Autonomy in the Relationship between the Use of Performance Appraisals and Job Satisfaction. (IZA discussion paper / Forschungsinstitut zur Zukunft der Arbeit 18191), Bonn, 31 S.
Abstract
"We explore the moderating role of job autonomy for the link between the use of performance appraisals and employees' job satisfaction. Results based on German linked employer-employee panel data show that performance appraisals are linked to higher job satisfaction at moderate levels of job autonomy, whereas this positive relationship weakens at both low and high levels of autonomy. Moreover, the interplay between performance appraisals and job autonomy appears sensitive to broader institutional and contextual factors, such as the existence of employee representation, perceived job security, and design of the performance appraisals. Our findings highlight the complex role of job autonomy in shaping employee responses to performance management, underscoring the need for context-aware human resource practices." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
Weiterführende Informationen
Data product DOI: 10.5164/IAB.LPP1224.de.en.v1 -
Literaturhinweis
Krisenzeiten als Stresstest für die Zusammenarbeit (2025)
Hammermann, Andrea; Stettes, Oliver;Zitatform
Hammermann, Andrea & Oliver Stettes (2025): Krisenzeiten als Stresstest für die Zusammenarbeit. (IW-Kurzberichte / Institut der Deutschen Wirtschaft Köln 2025,84), Köln, 3 S.
Abstract
"Das Arbeitsklima wird in Deutschland mehrheitlich gut oder sehr gut bewertet. Dennoch macht sich die wirtschaftliche Krise in den Unternehmen hierzulande bemerkbar. Die Zusammenarbeit im Kollegenkreis und mit der Führungskraft wird in stürmischen Zeiten auf eine harte Probe gestellt." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Why Life Gets Better after Age 50, for Some: Mental Well-Being and the Social Norm of Work (2025)
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Kraats, Coen van de, Titus Galama, Maarten Lindeboom & Zichen Deng (2025): Why Life Gets Better after Age 50, for Some: Mental Well-Being and the Social Norm of Work. In: Journal of labor economics, S. 1-24. DOI:10.1086/737772
Abstract
"We provide evidence that the social norm (expectation) that adults work has a substantial detrimental causal effect on the mental well-being of unemployed men in mid-life, as substantial as, e.g., the detriment of being widowed. As their peers in age retire and the social norm weakens, the mental well-being of the unemployed improves.Using data on individuals aged 50+ from 10 European countries, we identify the social norm of work effect using exogenous variation in the earliest eligibility age for old-age public pensions across countries and birth cohorts." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Benefits and Employees' Work Effort: An Empirical Analysis of Non-monetary Incentives (2025)
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Manger, Helena (2025): Benefits and Employees' Work Effort: An Empirical Analysis of Non-monetary Incentives. (SOEPpapers on multidisciplinary panel data research at DIW Berlin 1228), Berlin, 63 S.
Abstract
"Despite extensive literature on incentives to increase employees' work performance, economic research on employer-provided non-monetary benefits remains rare. This study investigates the relationship between benefits and employees' work effort utilizing data from the German Socio-Economic Panel. The analysis is based on data from eleven survey waves from 2006 to 2022 and considers five benefit types: meal stipends, firm cars, phones and computers for personal use, as well as expense payments exceeding minimum costs. The results reveal a modest positive association between benefit receipt and employees' work effort, measured as the difference between actual and contractual working hours per week. On average, benefit receipt is associated with 13 minutes additional work per week. Furthermore, receiving a greater variety of benefit types is linked to even higher work effort, with two to five or more benefit types associated with an average increase of 27 to 97 minutes of extra work per week. However, the effectiveness of benefits does not seem to be universal but varies depending on the type of benefit as well as individual and organizational characteristics. Notably, the positive association of benefits with work effort appears significantly higher for males than for females, and sectoral differences are evident. These findings underscore the importance of further research to better understand the specific conditions under which benefits can effectively enhance employee work effort." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
What makes a good place to work? The effect of internal corporate social responsibility on word-of-mouth for employers (2025)
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Mutter, Anna, Jasmin Afrahi & Thomas Armbrüster (2025): What makes a good place to work? The effect of internal corporate social responsibility on word-of-mouth for employers. In: The International Journal of Human Resource Management, Jg. 36, H. 11, S. 1807-1833. DOI:10.1080/09585192.2025.2534339
Abstract
"Word-of-mouth for employers (WOME; i.e., employees talking positively about their employer organization) is a valuable corporate means of recruitment in times of employee shortage and war for talent. However, research on the determinants of WOME is fragmented, and the identification of success factors is incomplete. Based on research on word-of-mouth mechanisms and social exchange theory, which explains exchange relationships between sender and receiver, we elaborate on a model of WOME that comprises classic and emerging factors of workplace attractiveness (monetary compensation, work environment, and workplace fun) and internal corporate social responsibility (ICSR). We hypothesize that ICSR exhibits the greatest explanatory power for WOME. We tested our assumption with a data set of 132,995 participants from 13 industrial sectors in Germany and ran a multiple linear regression analysis with four independent variables and WOME as the dependent variable. ICSR proved to have the greatest effect on WOME, which we consider a result of employees’ interest in a fair exchange relationship with their employers, followed by workplace fun, the work environment, and monetary compensation. We discuss the results in terms of the above-mentioned theories and point out directions for future research as well as practical implications." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Der Bezug von Grundsicherungsleistungen geht auch längerfristig mit einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit einher (Serie „Befunde aus der IAB-Grundsicherungsforschung 2021 bis 2024“) (2025)
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Nivorozhkin, Anton & Markus Promberger (2025): Der Bezug von Grundsicherungsleistungen geht auch längerfristig mit einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit einher (Serie „Befunde aus der IAB-Grundsicherungsforschung 2021 bis 2024“). In: IAB-Forum H. 16.07.2025, 2025-07-14. DOI:10.48720/IAB.FOO.20250716.01
Abstract
"Für viele Menschen sind Grundsicherungsleistungen eine unverzichtbare finanzielle Hilfe. Doch wie verhält es sich mit dem subjektiven Wohlergehen der Betroffenen? Befunde aus der IAB-Forschung, die auf Daten vor der Bürgergeld-Reform basieren, zeigen: Obwohl Grundsicherungsleistungen die materielle Situation von Menschen absichern, geht der Bezug als solcher im Schnitt auch langfristig mit einer geringeren Lebenszufriedenheit einher. Bei Männern verstärkt sich dieser Effekt im Zeitverlauf sogar." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)
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Literaturhinweis
Character Strengths Use at Work: a Meta-Analysis of Relations with Work Performance and Employee Wellbeing (2025)
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Rudolph, Cort W., Jack C. Friedrich, Ryszard J. Koziel & Hannes Zacher (2025): Character Strengths Use at Work: a Meta-Analysis of Relations with Work Performance and Employee Wellbeing. In: Applied Research in Quality of Life, Jg. 20, H. 2, S. 753-788. DOI:10.1007/s11482-025-10424-2
Abstract
"Character strengths, individual differences in positive, morally valued human characteristics, are a core concept in positive psychology and positive organizational behavior. The application of character strengths through “strengths use” at work is associated with a variety of positive outcomes, including higher levels of work performance and employee wellbeing. To address fragmentation in this literature, we conducted a meta-analysis of relations between strengths use and these outcomes. Consistent with pre-registered hypotheses, we find positive associations between strengths use and work performance (ρ = .421) and worker wellbeing (ρ = .621). However, contrary to the premise of “strengths overuse,” we did not find evidence for non-linearity in these associations. We also explore demographic and methodological moderators of these relations and present an accounting of additional relations between strengths use at work and a broader network of more specific performance- and wellbeing-related constructs, associated strengths-use constructs, job characteristics, dispositional and attitudinal constructs, and demographic characteristics." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Thriving from Work Questionnaire: Validation of a Measure of Worker Wellbeing Among Older U.S. Workers (2025)
Voss, Maren Wright ; Yadav, Kanchan; Peters, Susan E. ; Neidlinger, Stephanie M. ; Halvorsen, Cal J. ; Wagner, Gregory R.;Zitatform
Voss, Maren Wright, Cal J. Halvorsen, Kanchan Yadav, Stephanie M. Neidlinger, Gregory R. Wagner & Susan E. Peters (2025): Thriving from Work Questionnaire: Validation of a Measure of Worker Wellbeing Among Older U.S. Workers. In: International journal of environmental research and public health, Jg. 22, H. 9. DOI:10.3390/ijerph22091428
Abstract
"As life expectancy and retirement ages rise globally, understanding how older workers thrive in the workplace is an increasingly vital measurement and wellbeing priority. In this study, we validated the Thriving from Work Questionnaire (TfWQ) for workers aged ≥50. A U.S. online panel yielded 617 older workers and 372 younger counterparts for comparison. Using item response theory alongside model-fit evaluation and correlational tests with job/life satisfaction, engagement, burnout, and turnover intent—we assessed reliability and construct validity of the long- (30 reduced to 29-item) and short- (8-item) form TfWQ versions. We recommend omitting one of the original items from the long-form for use in older workers. Instrument reliability was high (α = 0.94 long-form; 0.90 short-form). Model fit was established for both long- and short-form versions with acceptable model fit indices. Convergent validity was supported by strong, theory-consistent correlations with the external constructs. Older workers, compared with those 20–49 years, had higher scores of thriving from work as well as differences identified on nine items. These age-patterned differences highlight actionable levers for occupational-health age-sensitive policy, wellbeing interventions, and workforce planning. The TfWQ offers a robust, reliable, valid, and practically oriented tool for evaluating older workers’ wellbeing with utility across research, practice, and policy." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Is there a mid-career crisis? An investigation of the relationship between age and job satisfaction across occupations based on four large UK datasets (2025)
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Zhou, Ying, Min Zou & Mark Williams (2025): Is there a mid-career crisis? An investigation of the relationship between age and job satisfaction across occupations based on four large UK datasets. In: Socio-economic review, Jg. 23, H. 3, S. 1287-1314. DOI:10.1093/ser/mwae072
Abstract
"Previous research has yielded mixed evidence on the relationship between age and job satisfaction. While there is broad consensus that job satisfaction tends to increase from midlife into older age, considerable debate persists regarding whether it rises or falls during the early stages of a career. This study examines this relationship in depth by analysing four nationally representative datasets, which include both cross-sectional and longitudinal data from 108 401 workers in the UK covering all industries, occupations and geographical areas. Our findings reveal a distinct U-shaped trajectory of job satisfaction among workers in managerial, professional and associate professional occupations. However, this pattern is not evident among workers in intermediate or lower occupational classes. These results remain consistent even after adjusting for period effects, cohort effects and fixed individual characteristics. The results of this study suggest that commonly cited reasons for the mid-career crisis, such as increased work–family conflicts, are unlikely to fully explain the pattern. Instead, the answer is likely to lie in work-related factors that disproportionately affect highly skilled workers. By highlighting the role of occupational context in shaping how individuals experience their work as they age, this study contributes to resolving a long-standing debate in the job satisfaction literature and lays the groundwork for theoretical advancements in this field." (Author's abstract, IAB-Doku) ((en))
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Literaturhinweis
Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten? Wie die Beschäftigten ihre Arbeitszeiten bewerten: Ergebnisse des DGB-Index Gute Arbeit 2025 (2025)
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(2025): Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten? Wie die Beschäftigten ihre Arbeitszeiten bewerten. Ergebnisse des DGB-Index Gute Arbeit 2025. (DGB-Index Gute Arbeit : Report ...), Berlin, 23 S.
Abstract
"Die bundesweit repräsentative Befragung des DGB-Index Gute Arbeit lief von Januar bis Mai 2025. Mehr als 4.000 zufällig ausgewählte Arbeitnehmerinnen und Arbeitnehmer gaben Auskunft über ihre Arbeitsbedingungen. Schwerpunktthema war die Arbeitszeit. Aufschlussreich ist der Abgleich der Arbeitszeitrealität mit den Wünschen der Beschäftigten: Lediglich 40 Prozent sind mit ihrer aktuellen Arbeitszeit zufrieden. Dagegen wünscht sich mehr als die Hälfte (53 Prozent) kürzere Arbeitszeiten, sieben Prozent würden gerne länger arbeiten. Gründe für die Diskrepanzen zwischen Wunsch und Wirklichkeit sind überwiegend starre betriebliche Vorgaben. Während sich die große Mehrheit maximale tägliche Arbeitszeiten von acht Stunden wünscht, geben 43 Prozent aller Befragten an, (sehr) häufig länger als acht Stunden zu arbeiten. Je öfter dies der Fall ist, desto ausgeprägter sind Probleme bei der Vereinbarkeit von Arbeit und Privatleben. Auch die eigene Erholung und die gesundheitliche Situation werden negativer bewertet. Ein Hebel für die Gestaltung gesundheitsgerechter Arbeitszeiten ist deren vollständige Erfassung. In der Befragung geben 23 Prozent an, dass ihre Arbeitszeit durch den Betrieb nicht erfasst wird. Weitere sieben Prozent haben zwar eine Erfassung, diese ist jedoch nicht vollständig. Ohne Arbeitszeiterfassung wird häufiger von einer Entgrenzung und Fragmentierung der Arbeitszeit berichtet." (Autorenreferat, IAB-Doku)