UK job satisfaction has fallen to a record low, according to the Resolution Foundation’s analysis of the British Social Attitudes survey.
Satisfaction and willingness to go further have fallen
The Resolution Foundation’s analysis, based on the 2025 British Social Attitudes survey, puts the share of workers satisfied with their jobs at 74%, down from 81% in 2015. The result is the lowest figure recorded by the survey since the question was first asked in 1989. It compares workers’ answers to the same satisfaction question across the decade and places the latest reading at the bottom of the survey’s recorded series.¹²
A separate question measured whether workers would put in more effort than their jobs required to help their employer succeed. The share saying they would do so fell from 69% to 55% in 2025. The survey also asked about the intrinsic value workers find in working: 4% said there was “little intrinsic value”, a proportion that has remained flat over time. The answers describe different aspects of work, and the reported pattern differs between them.¹²
A separate question measured whether workers would put in more effort than their jobs required to help their employer succeed.
Fewer workers describe their jobs as interesting
The share of workers saying they had an interesting job fell over the decade from 74% to 63%. The Foundation’s findings also say fewer employees report having an interesting job or one that offers a chance of advancement. Interest and advancement are job features distinct from the overall satisfaction measure: the findings record how workers describe the work itself as well as how they feel about their employment.¹²
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Read More →The Foundation identifies a lack of flexible working, insecure jobs and a loss of independence as factors that have undermined workers’ feelings about their employment. These are three different conditions in the analysis: access to flexible arrangements, security in a job and the independence workers have at work. The findings place them among the issues accompanying lower satisfaction, alongside the reported changes in interest and willingness to work harder.¹²
Low-pay concerns span pay scales
Hannah Slaughter, an economist at the Resolution Foundation and co-author of the report, said there had been a rise in the number of workers who said they suffered from low pay. She said the concern spanned all the pay scales. Her comments describe low pay as a concern raised across pay levels, rather than confining it to one part of the pay range.¹²
Slaughter said: “Workers increasingly want jobs that provide flexibility, independence and financial security. But many feel those expectations are not being met.” Her remarks name three qualities workers increasingly want from jobs and say many workers feel those expectations are unmet. The statement brings flexibility and independence into the discussion alongside financial security, while the survey figures track satisfaction, job interest and stated willingness to work harder.¹²
Separate polling also shows lower satisfaction
Separate Ipsos polling supports the Foundation’s findings. Workers reported much lower satisfaction this year than when the same question was asked in 1976 and 1986. In 1976, 83% said they were very or fairly satisfied with their work; in 2026, the share was 69%. This polling uses a stated measure of being very or fairly satisfied, giving a separate comparison from the British Social Attitudes survey’s measure of workers who said they were satisfied with their jobs.¹²
John Curtice, a Strathclyde professor and pollster who is co-editor of the British Social Attitudes report, said the findings showed that young people had not become more work-shy and workers in general had not become more reluctant to change jobs. The Resolution Foundation says its analysis offers insight into how policymakers might reverse slowing productivity growth, low job mobility and high economic inactivity among certain groups, especially younger people.¹²
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Read More →Slaughter said: “Workers increasingly want jobs that provide flexibility, independence and financial security.
Negotiate for flexibility and security
When you weigh a job offer, treat flexibility, independence, and financial security as core terms, not perks. The data shows workers increasingly want these three qualities, yet many feel they are unmet. Ask specifically about flexible working arrangements and contract security before accepting a role, because these factors now drive satisfaction more than pay alone. A role that offers autonomy and a stable contract may protect your long-term engagement better than a higher salary with rigid conditions.¹²
For your own career, monitor whether your job still offers interest and advancement. The share of workers calling their jobs interesting fell from 74% to 63% over the decade, and fewer employees report a chance to move up. If your role no longer provides either, that signals a risk to your satisfaction and willingness to invest extra effort. Plan to build skills that keep your work engaging, or seek a move where advancement is visible, because these features now separate satisfied workers from the rest.¹²
Sources
Written by Career Ahead AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify key facts. Report errors to support@careeraheadonline.com
