Researchers look for the job for happy

Researchers at the London School of Economics and Political Science surveyed people in 150 countries for a study on their "happiness. For example, the study emphasized that the unemployed would remain unhappy long after becoming unemployed, even though they had found a new job.

Compensating wage difference

The researchers were unable to prove the so-called "compensating wage difference". In classical economic theory, it is assumed that people are equally happy in different jobs according to their abilities. If a person has to take a job that is not as satisfying, he or she should be paid accordingly and thus be equally happy again in the end. Apparently, according to the researchers, this effect does not exist.

Other corresponding responses about what constitutes happiness in the workplace were recently analyzed. Here are the key findings:

Have work

The importance of a job goes far beyond the pay packet. More important are social networking, status, a daily structure and goals in life.

According to the study, a high unemployment rate also influences the happiness of the working population. This is known as a "spillover effect": if many people are unemployed, others also fear for their jobs and are correspondingly unhappy.

Good wage

A good wage makes people happy. Since workers in physically demanding jobs often earn less, they are also less happy. By contrast, managers and bosses described themselves as particularly happy in the study.

Work-life balance

Not surprisingly, people are happier when they have time for family and hobbies in addition to their job. People who come home tired after work are less happy. It's especially bad when you have to deal with work problems at the end of the day.

Working hours

How long someone works is not that important. Even overtime does not harm personal happiness, as long as the work-life balance is still right.

The situation is similar for part-time workers. Those who would like to work more or less, but cannot, tend to be unhappy. People who do not work full-time tend to be happier.

Self-employment is classified quite differently. Thus, self-employed workers are happy in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and East Asia, but not in the other regions.

The dear colleagues

Employees also have an influence on happiness at work. If you feel their support, your satisfaction increases. The boss can also contribute to this. Workers are happier if they are involved in decision-making processes, if they can take on responsibility and if they have the opportunity for further training. If employees don't see any chance of advancement, their sense of happiness drops.

Attention, bosses

The researchers point out that there is a difference between "job satisfaction" and "positive work attitude". A person can be happy at work and still not be particularly motivated.

"Satisfaction in the job can possibly be attributed to a certain level of satisfaction. However, a positive work attitude requires the individual to be actively involved in the well-being of the company," they say. The researchers point to another study in which workers were asked to rate their current activities at different times of the day:

"Disturbingly, paid work ranked near the bottom of 40 different activities. Only lying in bed sick was more unpopular."

Here you can find happy workers

The researchers ranked 160 countries on job satisfaction. In first place here is Austria with 95.1 percent happy workers. This is followed by Norway (94.6 percent), Iceland (94.5 percent), the Netherlands (93.8 percent) and in fifth place Switzerland (93.7 percent). Germany comes in only 16th place (90.4 percent), France 35th (86 percent) and Italy 40th (85.5 percent). In last place is Lesotho, with only 44.4 percent of workers satisfied.

Detailed information about career and happiness is available in the mentioned Study, or also in the continuing interview on this Page.