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Techies 'more unhappy than hairdressers'
Money isn't everything, apparently…

By Andy McCue

Published: Monday 06 August 2007

Techies have lower levels of job satisfaction than hairdressers, librarians and lorry drivers despite higher earnings than many other professions.

IT workers came 66th out of 81 professions ranked for job satisfaction in research carried out by the University of Bath, despite one in 10 techies earning more than £45,000 a year.

The research was based on a Department of Trade and Industry survey of 22,500 employees about their work experiences and ranks them on how satisfied they feel in their job.

High-earning techies appear to be unhappy in their jobs despite the fact the research found earning more than £40,000 a year usually has a strong positive effect on job satisfaction.

The University of Bath's Professor Michael Rose, who carried out the research, said the most important factor in job satisfaction is the managerial skill in creating a sense of involvement for employees.

He said in the study: "ICT professionals emerge from the survey less satisfied with involvement, sense of achievement, job security and training provided."

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Rose said individual job satisfaction is down to a range of factors including pay, conditions of employment and "symbolic rewards" such as prestige.

Hairdressers ranked second in the overall job satisfaction league table behind corporate managers but some of the other professions with happier workers than IT included cleaners, librarians, secretaries and transport drivers.

The professions listed in the research, which was sponsored by the Economic and Social Research Council, are based on the UK standard occupational classification index.