CareerBuilder Survey Finds Growing Worker Disenchantment, Long Hours and Stress

Happy Labor Day - Or Is It?

RESTON, Va., Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Workers -- whether they like their jobs or not -- are growing more stressed and frustrated by layoff news, increasing workloads and fuzzier career directions, according to a new CareerBuilder(R) survey of full-time workers. Overall, job satisfaction, as measured in an earlier poll, has decreased from 69 percent in January to 65 percent today, according to the August 2001 survey, "Workers in the New Economy of Choice: A Career Portrait," of more than 1,200 full-time workers conducted earlier this month.

"Layoffs are taking a toll on everyone -- those directly impacted as well as those left behind to keep the ship afloat," said Diane Strahan, a career expert and vice president of marketing with CareerBuilder, the force behind the most targeted career network on the Web. "Moving forward, it will be a challenge to ensure that all layoff survivors are engaged in today's new economy of choice."

Increased workload is a big stressor in 2001, according to survey respondents. More than half of workers -- 56 percent -- report that they work under a great deal of stress and nearly the same number -- 57 percent -- say their workloads have increased in the past six months. One-third of workers leave work on time less than two days a week; 25 percent report that they complete half or less of their planned tasks each day.

Worker satisfaction continues to decline as do the percentage of professionals who claim they love their jobs. While 22 percent of workers said they "love" their jobs in January, only 16 percent said they "love" their work in August -- a 27 percent drop.

Workers were asked to identify top likes and dislikes about work -- other than money issues. Most cited: being part of a team, likable coworkers and the work they do. Top pet peeves: incompetent persons of authority (bosses, supervisors and management), hours of work and repetitive work. Ranked as the biggest time wasters at work: meetings, paperwork and phone calls.

Based on likes and dislikes, today's workers continue to be on the move in 2001. Nearly one-in-four workers plan to change jobs in the next five months. Despite layoff threats, about half of workers are optimistic that they will land on their feet at a comparable job within a month. Of those planning to change jobs this year, 66 percent are dissatisfied with the opportunities for career advancement at their current employer. More than half of workers with new job plans also said that current employers do not "nurture talent" or "reward excellence."

"Companies with rocky corporate leadership and unclear goals will suffer in the new Economy of choice," Strahan said. Thirty-five percent of workers polled, for example, felt that corporate leaders do not keep staff informed about company objectives and future plans. Thirty percent feel that corporate leadership is untrustworthy.

"Employers must make workloads more realistic and ensure that work is value-added and important," Strahan added. "Otherwise, good workers will leave."

For layoff survivors, Strahan offers the following tips:

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Keep job options open; it's easy with the Internet.

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Champion constructive workload solutions.

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Assume that no one else is trying to make your work situation



better.

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Prioritize tasks and eliminate unimportant distractions.

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Leave work content and on time.

Employers should consider conducting an employee survey to gauge worker opinions and attitudes. Sixty-six percent of workers who are likely to change jobs this year said they have not been surveyed about their attitudes in the past 12 months. Corporate leaders also must ensure that work is realistic and meaningful. "Employees want top managers who listen and are clear about goals and objectives," Strahan said. "In fact, people will tolerate hard work as long as they feel they are being heard and contributing."

About the Survey

The CareerBuilder "Workers in the New Economy of Choice: A Career Portrait" was conducted August 9, 2001, through August 15, 2001. A total of 1,264 full-time workers participated in the survey. To collect data for the survey, CareerBuilder commissioned SurveySite to use an e-mail methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite Web Panel were randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to participate in the online survey. The results of this survey are accurate within +/- 2.8 percent.

About CareerBuilder, LLC
CareerBuilder, backed by media giants Tribune Company (NYSE: TRB) and Knight Ridder (NYSE: KRI), is the leading provider of targeted Web recruiting. Through the CareerBuilder Network, employers can post jobs to pinpoint exactly the right candidates by location, industry or diversity. Job seekers can instantly search more than 70 of the Internet's best career sites, in just a couple of clicks. CareerBuilder also provides personalized career services and advice. The CareerBuilder Network is the most powerful career network on the Web, including careerbuilder.com -- the flagship career center -- and the career centers of premier destination sites including MSN, Bloomberg.com, USA TODAY.com, iVillage.com and latimes.com, Philly.com, chicagotribune.com and BayArea.com.

CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:

Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com