Close to a third (32%) of financial services workers responding to a new survey describe themselves as unhappy at work.
Workers in sales, media and marketing were happiest – with 78% self-classifying as happy. Arts and culture came second with over two-thirds (69%) saying they were happy at work.
Across the board, the number of Brits overall who reported being happy at work jumped by a fifth compared to the same period last year. Over half (56%) of workers said they were happy at work during Q2 2013, compared to just over a third (36%) during Q2 2012.
Broken down geographically, the happiest workers were those in the South West and North West, with self-reported happiness levels of 65% and 61%, compared to the national average of 56%. Just four in ten (43%) of those working in the North East said they were happy.
Generation Y reported being happier (68%) at work than their older counterparts – just 48% of workers in the 45-54 age bracket said they were happy at work.
Darren Roscoe, Operations Director at Office Angels said: “Our research shows that overall the UK workforce is showing very high levels of happiness and job satisfaction, especially when compared to this time last year. As we draw to the end of a summer of sunshine, Wimbledon success and the Royal baby, it is no surprise that there is an air of positivity.
“Looking beyond this, the outlook for the jobs market appears to be particularly optimistic. Such high happiness levels suggest employers are focussing on the wellbeing of their employees and creating a workplace where people want to stay.”
The survey, commissioned by Office Angels, was undertaken between 18/07/2013 and 06/08/2013 and surveyed 1225 workers across the UK.
Responding to the survey, Fred Payne, Chief Executive of the Bank Workers' Charity, which functions as an occupational benevolent fund, said: "Our survey of the UK banking sector, conducted with the Work Foundation and Robertson Cooper, found that overall levels of engagement and employee commitment are lower in the banking sector in the general working population. This has also been substantiated by earlier work.
When asked whether negative perceptions of the banking industry are piling on pressure, Payne said: "We don't think this is the mainstream view and I think people are mature enough to know they're targeting these perceptions on high-profile, highly-paid employees at the top or in very specific sectors, rather than the average worker at a bank branch."
