Research from PensionBee has revealed only 33 per cent of people feel that their job matches their skillset. Moreover, only 16 per cent are doing something they’d call their ‘true passion’.
Other findings include:
- Stress (33 per cent), lack of progression (30 per cent) and not learning new skills (27 per cent) are the biggest causes of career unhappiness.
- Only 25 per cent of workers feel that their job is providing transferable skills.
- The happiest workers are aged 16-34 and with the exception of the over 55s, the older people are, the less likely they are to be happy at work.
Top five reasons for career unhappiness:
| Reason for career unhappiness | Respondents |
| Too stressful | 33 per cent |
| No progression | 30 per cent |
| Not learning any new skills | 27 per cent |
| No recognition for achievements | 25 per cent |
| Pay isn’t what expected | 19 per cent |
When asked what stopped workers looking for a new job, 29 per cent of respondents said that it’s ‘fear of the unknown’ and ‘age’, while 23 per cent stated ‘lack of available or relevant positions’ as the reason.
Following the research, PensionBee has designed a tool that educates users about how their skills could be transferred to a new career that might be more fulfilling, interesting and possibly better paid! The tool allows users to search for their current job and then provides them with insights on where they can explore new opportunities.
“Our research shows that people feel trapped in their job and become unhappier as they age, but there’s no rule that says you have to keep applying for new positions with the same job title,” notes Jasper Martens, chief marketing officer at PensionBee. “Our tool shows you can really take control of your career by learning about what else is out there and seeing how you can bring value to companies in different sectors, which might well appeal more.”
The research also revealed:
- People are happiest at work in the North East (84 per cent) and Greater London (80 per cent), they’re most unhappy at work in Northern Ireland (17 per cent) and Wales (16 per cent).
- There is a strong link between happiness and position in work hierarchy – those in senior manager roles are 85 per cent likely to be happy compared to 70 per cent in roles below management level.
- The happiest professions are Sales, Media Marketing (88 per cent) and Legal (84 per cent), the unhappiest are those working in Retail, Catering & Leisure (17 per cent)
