UK job satisfaction at record low amid rising frustration over pay and flexible working

Job satisfaction among UK workers has dropped to a record low, according to a study that shows a growing frustration with employers over pay and flexible working.

Analysis by the Resolution Foundation thinktank shows that a lack of flexible working, insecure jobs and a loss of independence have undermined how workers feel about their employment.

Based on the 2025 British Social Attitudes survey, the study found a sharp fall in satisfaction at work that translated into British workers being less willing to go “above and beyond for their employers than they were a decade ago”.

Job satisfaction fell from 81% in 2015 to 74%, the lowest figure recorded in the British Social Attitudes survey since 1989, when the question was first asked.

Fewer workers said they had an interesting job or one that offered the chance of advancement. The proportion of workers who said they would work harder than required to help their employer succeed fell from 69% in 2015 to 55% in 2025.

The Resolution Foundation said its analysis would give policymakers an insight into how they could reverse decades of slowing productivity growth, low levels of job mobility and high economic inactivity among some groups, most notably younger people.

Only 4% of workers said there was “little intrinsic value” from working – a figure that has remained flat over time. What has declined, the thinktank said, was the number of people feeling positive about the jobs they do.

The proportion saying they have an interesting job fell over the decade from 74% to 63%.

Hannah Slaughter, an economist at the foundation and co-author of the report, said there was a rise in the number of workers who said they suffered from low pay and this concern spanned all the pay scales.

She said decades of low pay-rises and the spiralling cost of living was affecting the outlook of all groups, though the demand for greater flexibility was equally pronounced.

“Workers increasingly want jobs that provide flexibility, independence and financial security. But many feel those expectations are not being met,” said Slaughter.

“The result is rising frustration among workers, who report lower job satisfaction, declining willingness to go above and beyond, and a reduced appetite for full-time work. This ‘dissatisfaction drain’ is self-evidently bad for workers, but it also doesn’t bode well for productivity and labour supply, both of which are vital for lifting living standards in the years ahead.”

Separate polling by Ipsos dating back to the 1980s supported the foundation’s study, with workers reporting much lower satisfaction this year than when the same question was asked in 1976 and 1986. In 1976 it found 83% were very or fairly satisfied with their work compared with 69% in 2026.

John Curtice, the Strathclyde professor and pollster who is co-editor of the British Social Attitudes report, said the findings showed young people had not become more work-shy, “nor have workers in general become more reluctant to change jobs. But if workers are to be fully engaged in their work, it has seemingly become more important for employers to provide jobs that are both financial rewarding and have flexible work hours.”