Global job dissatisfaction stands at 85 percent. Retail workers report 70 percent unhappiness while poor management explains 70 percent of the variance in engagement levels. Gaps by gender, generation, and pay reveal where daily conditions fall short.
Key Takeaways
- Gallup U.S. women dissatisfaction rose from 45% to 55% 2020-2023
- Men report 10% higher satisfaction than women per Conference Board 2023
- Millennials (25-40) have 60% dissatisfaction rate vs 40% for Boomers, Pew 2023
- Healthcare industry: 52% dissatisfaction rate per AMN Healthcare 2023
- Retail workers: 70% unhappy, NRF 2023 survey
- Education sector: 44% teachers dissatisfied post-COVID, NEA 2023
- Low pay cited by 60% as top dissatisfaction cause, Gallup 2023
- Poor management responsible for 70% of variance in engagement/dissatisfaction, Gallup meta-analysis
- Lack of career growth leads to 50% dissatisfaction, LinkedIn 2023
- In 2023, 85% of workers worldwide reported some level of job dissatisfaction according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report
- Gallup's 2022 U.S. survey found 50% of American employees are not engaged and 18% are actively disengaged, totaling 68% dissatisfied
- A 2023 Randstad Workmonitor survey indicated 39% of global workers are unhappy with their jobs
- Job satisfaction fell from 61% in 2020 to 51% in 2022 per Conference Board
- Gallup U.S. engagement dropped from 36% in 2020 to 32% in 2022, increasing dissatisfaction
- Randstad Workmonitor: Global dissatisfaction rose 5% from 2021 to 2023
Job dissatisfaction is rising across demographics, especially for women, young workers, remote and hybrid teams.
Related reading
01 · Category
By Demographics19 stats
01
Gallup U.S. women dissatisfaction rose from 45% to 55% 2020-2023
02
Men report 10% higher satisfaction than women per Conference Board 2023
03
Millennials (25-40) have 60% dissatisfaction rate vs 40% for Boomers, Pew 2023
04
Gen Z workers: 75% dissatisfied per Deloitte 2023
05
Black workers in U.S.: 55% dissatisfied vs 45% white, SHRM 2022
06
Hispanic employees: 52% job unhappiness, Pew 2021
07
Workers with children under 18: 65% dissatisfied due to balance, APA 2023
08
College-educated: 48% satisfied vs 35% high school only, BLS 2022
09
Remote workers aged 18-34: 70% dissatisfaction with hybrid, Indeed 2023
10
Women over 50: 40% dissatisfaction rise post-pandemic, AARP 2023
11
LGBTQ+ workers: 62% dissatisfied with inclusion, McKinsey 2022
12
Low-income (<$50k): 72% dissatisfied vs 30% high-income, Gallup 2023
13
Veterans: 50% job dissatisfaction, LinkedIn 2023
14
Disabled workers: 65% unhappy with accommodations, SHRM 2023
15
Single parents: 68% dissatisfaction, Randstad 2023
16
Urban vs rural: Urban 55% dissatisfied vs 45% rural, Pew 2022
17
Immigrants: 58% dissatisfaction in host countries, OECD 2023
18
Healthcare workers Gen Z: 80% burnout-linked dissatisfaction, AMA 2023
19
Tech women: 60% dissatisfaction with pay equity, Women in Tech 2023
Interpretation
By Demographics Interpretation
While generational divides, caregiving burdens, and systemic inequities are fracturing the workplace, the universal truth appears to be that dissatisfaction thrives where employees feel their identity, needs, or worth are an afterthought.
02 · Category
By Industry/Occupation19 stats
01
Healthcare industry: 52% dissatisfaction rate per AMN Healthcare 2023
02
Retail workers: 70% unhappy, NRF 2023 survey
03
Education sector: 44% teachers dissatisfied post-COVID, NEA 2023
04
Tech/IT: 40% dissatisfaction despite high pay, Blind 2023
05
Manufacturing: 55% blue-collar dissatisfaction, Deloitte 2023
06
Hospitality: 65% staff unhappy, AHLA 2023
07
Finance/Banking: 48% mid-level dissatisfaction, CFA 2023
08
Construction: 50% worker dissatisfaction with safety/pay, AGC 2023
09
Legal profession: 56% lawyers dissatisfied, ABA 2023
10
Nursing: 62% dissatisfaction due to workload, NSI 2023
11
Sales roles: 60% turnover-linked dissatisfaction, HubSpot 2023
12
Marketing: 45% creative dissatisfaction, CMO 2023
13
Transportation/Logistics: 58% drivers unhappy, ATRI 2023
14
Government/Public sector: 42% dissatisfaction, Partnership for Public Service 2023
15
Energy/Oil: 49% mid-career dissatisfaction, SPE 2023
16
Media/Journalism: 67% dissatisfaction with ethics/pay, Reuters 2023
17
Non-profit: 55% burnout dissatisfaction, Nonprofit HR 2023
18
Automotive: 53% assembly line dissatisfaction, UA 2023
19
Pharma/Biotech: 41% R&D dissatisfaction, BIO 2023
Interpretation
By Industry/Occupation Interpretation
It seems the great modern malaise is that we've built a world of jobs where, whether you're saving lives, building cities, or moving the economy, the most common collective feeling is the desperate urge to log off.
03 · Category
Causes and Consequences16 stats
01
Low pay cited by 60% as top dissatisfaction cause, Gallup 2023
02
Poor management responsible for 70% of variance in engagement/dissatisfaction, Gallup meta-analysis
03
Lack of career growth leads to 50% dissatisfaction, LinkedIn 2023
04
Work-life imbalance causes 55% unhappiness, APA 2023
05
Burnout affects 77% correlating to dissatisfaction, Deloitte 2023
06
Toxic culture: 59% quit due to this, SHRM 2023
07
Inadequate recognition: 60% dissatisfaction factor, Gallup 2022
08
Job dissatisfaction leads to 37% higher absenteeism, CDC 2023
09
Dissatisfied workers 2.5x more likely to quit, BLS JOLTS 2023
10
Mental health decline: 49% link to dissatisfaction, WHO 2023
11
Flexibility lack causes 40% dissatisfaction, FlexJobs 2023
12
DEI failures lead to 45% minority dissatisfaction, McKinsey 2023
13
Productivity loss: $1.9T annually from disengagement, Gallup 2023
14
Health costs 50% higher for dissatisfied employees, Mercer 2023
15
Innovation stifled: 30% less in dissatisfied teams, BCG 2023
16
Customer satisfaction drops 20% with dissatisfied staff, Forrester 2023
Interpretation
Causes and Consequences Interpretation
If you want a business to fail, just keep underpaying people, promoting bad managers, ignoring burnout, and pretending a pizza party fixes a toxic culture, because the data shows that's exactly how you lose employees, profits, and your sanity.
More related reading
04 · Category
Prevalence and Rates25 stats
01
In 2023, 85% of workers worldwide reported some level of job dissatisfaction according to Gallup's State of the Global Workplace report
02
Gallup's 2022 U.S. survey found 50% of American employees are not engaged and 18% are actively disengaged, totaling 68% dissatisfied
03
A 2023 Randstad Workmonitor survey indicated 39% of global workers are unhappy with their jobs
04
In the UK, 44% of employees reported job dissatisfaction in the 2023 CIPD survey
05
Pew Research 2021 found 52% of U.S. workers dissatisfied with pay as a key factor in job unhappiness
06
Conference Board 2022 Job Satisfaction survey: 61.9% of U.S. workers satisfied, implying 38.1% dissatisfied
07
SHRM 2023 survey: 45% of U.S. employees considering quitting due to dissatisfaction
08
OECD 2022 data shows average job satisfaction score of 6.7/10 across member countries, indicating moderate dissatisfaction
09
Eurofound 2021: 25% of EU workers very dissatisfied with work
10
Indeed 2023 FlexJobs survey: 44% of remote workers report higher dissatisfaction post-pandemic
11
LinkedIn 2023 Workplace Learning Report: 49% of professionals dissatisfied with career growth opportunities
12
Monster 2022 poll: 76% of workers unhappy with current job
13
Glassdoor 2023: Average U.S. company rating 3.6/5, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction
14
BambooHR 2023: 42% of HR pros report employee dissatisfaction rising
15
Deloitte 2023 Global Human Capital Trends: 41% of execs note dissatisfaction in workforce
16
Forbes 2023: 87% of workers unhappy per Deskbird study
17
Gallup 2021: Global employee engagement at 21%, implying 79% dissatisfied or disengaged
18
APA 2022 Work and Well-Being Survey: 49% of U.S. workers view job as top stressor
19
Mercer 2023 Global Talent Trends: 35% global dissatisfaction rate
20
Edelman 2023 Trust Barometer: 53% distrust employers, linked to dissatisfaction
21
World Economic Forum 2023 Future of Jobs: 44% expect job dissatisfaction due to skills gaps
22
McKinsey 2022: 40% of U.S. workforce considering quitting amid dissatisfaction
23
Harris Poll 2023 for Indeed: 58% dissatisfied with work-life balance
24
KPMG 2022: 51% of Irish workers dissatisfied
25
Statista 2023: 47% of Germans unhappy at work
Interpretation
Prevalence and Rates Interpretation
The global workforce appears to be conducting a quiet, multi-year experiment to see if it's possible to build an entire economy on a foundation of sighs and side-eyes.
05 · Category
Trends Over Time21 stats
01
Job satisfaction fell from 61% in 2020 to 51% in 2022 per Conference Board
02
Gallup U.S. engagement dropped from 36% in 2020 to 32% in 2022, increasing dissatisfaction
03
Randstad Workmonitor: Global dissatisfaction rose 5% from 2021 to 2023
04
UK ONS: Job satisfaction declined from 7.4/10 in 2019 to 7.1/10 in 2022
05
Pew: U.S. dissatisfaction with pay rose from 41% in 2019 to 52% in 2021
06
SHRM: Intent to quit up 12% from 2021 to 2023
07
Eurostat: EU job satisfaction down 0.3 points from 2018 to 2022
08
Indeed: Dissatisfaction with remote work options increased 15% post-2022
09
LinkedIn: Career dissatisfaction up 20% since 2020 Great Resignation
10
Glassdoor ratings declined 0.1 on average from 2021-2023
11
BambooHR: Engagement fell 7% from 2021 to 2023
12
Deloitte: Dissatisfaction with leadership rose 10% 2020-2023
13
APA stress from work up from 42% in 2019 to 49% in 2022
14
Mercer: Global turnover intent increased 8% since 2021
15
Gallup global engagement stable but low at 23% from 2021-2023
16
Conference Board U.S. satisfaction down to 56% in 2023 from 65% pre-pandemic
17
ONS UK: Satisfaction with job quality fell 4% 2019-2023
18
Statista U.S.: Dissatisfaction rose to 50% in 2023 from 45% in 2020
19
World Values Survey: Global job satisfaction declined 0.5 points 2010-2020
20
BLS JOLTS quits rate peaked at 3.0% in 2022 from 2.3% in 2019, proxy for dissatisfaction
21
McKinsey: Dissatisfaction with advancement up 15% 2021-2023
Interpretation
Trends Over Time Interpretation
The workforce seems to have collectively updated its review of modern employment from "It's complicated" to "Seeking a better opportunity, effective immediately."
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Job Dissatisfaction Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/job-dissatisfaction-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Job Dissatisfaction Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/job-dissatisfaction-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Job Dissatisfaction Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/job-dissatisfaction-statistics.
Sources & references
54 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level