Majority Of Americans Dislike Their Jobs, Survey Shows

Barron's ^ | 23 February 2007 | Rex Nutting

[Red Boots]

As Drew Carey once said..."Oh, you hate your job? Why didn't you say so? There's a group for that. It's called EVERYBODY, and we meet at the bar!" :-)

LOL ! Love that quote !

[MarkL]

If we liked our jobs we would have to pay the company to do it. They pay us because otherwise we wouldn't do the work.

I disagree... I like my job, the company I work for, and the people I work with. However, my time is worth something to me, and it seems, to the company that I work for. We've got an agreement, part of which is that they pay me for my work. That way, I can afford to live. Should they decide not to pay me any more, as much as I like my work, I'd have to leave the job, and find another that is willing to pay me, whether I like the job or not.

But were I to win a hugh lottery, like the powerball, I'd be retired so quickly, it would make your head spin.

Mark

[denydenydeny]

have bosses=hate bosses

[HitmanLV]

Every person who has ever told me that they have a wonderful & fulfilling job freeze when I ask them what's particularly fulfilling about it.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Every person who has ever told me that they have a wonderful & fulfilling job freeze when I ask them what's particularly fulfilling about it.

I work in construction. I get s sense of pride in seeing and pointing out to my kids the cool stuff i had a hand in building, but most of my work is a hundred feet below ground, so they kind of have to take my work for it.

Also, my bosses are appreciative of the effort I put into my work. I know I do a good job for them, and get rewarded handsomely for it.

I wouldn't do it if I didn't have to, but seeing as i do, I think I have it about as good as it gets. That's fulfilling.

[HitmanLV]

Good for you! I have my own business that does very well, but I don't find it fulfilling at all. I like the money and the freedom, though, but that's not specific to this job so I can't say that it's a fulfilling part of my job. More of a happy side-effect.

[leda]

exactly! there are parts of my job that i really
do not like, but i do love what i do and accept
those bad parts along with all the good parts.

[Gator113]

Every day is another Saturday. I don't wear a watch and I often don't know the date, I stay up as long as I want and sleep in anytime that I want. When I set out to do a project, there are no due dates and I don't have to get them done over the weekend.

I am a slave to no man...I never have been, but now I don't need to fake it.

I have only one regret.....I should have retired at 43 instead of 53.

Regardless of what comes our way.....

~Life is Good~

[gardengirl]

I love my job! I agree with you-why would you keep working somewhere if it makes you miserable? My pay is not great, I have no benefits, but-I love the people I work with and what I do. Small town, garden center, I'm in charge of the greenhouse. Know most of my customers not just by name but what they drive. We know about everyone's families and they know about ours. We joke and carry on, pc be damned.

[Fierce Allegiance]

Congrats. I wish I had the cajones and tolerance for bulls#it and government regulation to have my own business.

My dad had his own business. I saw the struggles he went through. I don't think I could hack that. He loved his business and his employees, but most of all, i believe he loved the freedom to attend every one of his kids ballgames, concerts, etc.

[Dutch Boy]

Of course they're unhappy. That expensive degree in Ethnic History didn't even teach them to type.

You forgot the Poli-Sci majors that wait tables and flip burgers, the Psych majors with AS and BS degrees and the Lit majors that serve coffee to others becoming Lit majors.

[freekitty]

Who did they ask?

[freespirited]

a majority of respondents have said they're unhappy at work

Um, do you suppose there is a reason that it's called "work"?

[uglybiker]

The real problem here is people who think they should have everything they want, all the time.

Then it would be called FUN.

And there is an unwritten rule that says you can't be paid for having fun.

[Vision]

Love my job.

IMO the two largest mistakes people make in their lives is not investing enough focus on who they will marry and what work makes them happy. The best example of being happy in work is probably Rush Limbaugh.

[massadvj]

I'm in charge of the greenhouse.

Nice to hear from you. Don't eat too much fiber lest you increase the greenhouse gasses, if you know what I mean.

[honolulugal]

Thanks for my morning laugh!

[gardengirl]

LOL! As one of the earlier posters said-it's so nice to drive around and see the results of your hard work! My kids and husband do the "Aw, Mom," thing everytime I say, "Look! Those are my plants-or my hanging baskets-or roses-or whatever it is." A lot of people buy from the box stores, but you can always tell the plants that came out of my greenhouse!

[Arrowhead1952]

Majority Of Americans Dislike Their Jobs, Survey Shows

I'll tell everyone thing, if you would judge how much people dislike their jobs by their driving in the AM rush hour, you'd think they all love their jobs. Heck, there are several times I thought I missed a Chinese fire drill or something.

[ReagansShinyHair]

i would guess the less intelligent you are, the less you like your job.

I bet it's closer to "the more of a mismatch between your intelligence and your job, the less you like it." There are a lot of people who work low-wage jobs who are...kind of dumb...and very happy. They can put up with the repetition. It's the people who are smart enough to be average or above who (through bad choices and/or poor parenting) get stuck in those jobs and HATE it. If they have some ability to delay gratification, they get themselves out.

Then you just have hateful people and it makes no difference whether they're hateful or smart. If they won the lottery they'd still be hateful.