More Work and Less Pay Make Stressed Workers
The “2013 Work Stress Survey,” conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Everest College, found 83% of Americans are stressed by at least one thing at work, an increase from 73% in 2012. According to the telephone survey of 1,019 employed adults, for the third consecutive year, paltry paychecks were a top stressor with 14% of adults ranking low wages as the most stressful aspect of work.
Low pay shared the top spot with unreasonable workload, jumping to 14% from 9% in 2012. Annoying coworkers and commuting tied at 11%, followed by working in a job that is not a chosen career (8%), poor work-life balance (7%), lack of opportunity for advancement (6%) and fear of being fired or laid off (4%).
Women are more likely to say that low pay is the most stressful aspect of their job, nearly twice the rate of men (18% to 10%). Men listed unreasonable workload as the top stressor (14%), followed by annoying coworkers (12%).Eighteen percent of the survey participants with a high school diploma or less ranked low pay as the top stressor, followed by annoying coworkers (14%). College graduates ranked unreasonable workload as No. 1 (17%), followed by their commute (12%).
Those whose household income is less than $35,000 are more likely than those in the top income groups to say that their top stressors are low pay (26%), that their job is not in their chosen field (11%), and there are no opportunities for advancement (10%). The highest earners, however (those with a household income of $100,000 or more), are more likely than the lowest earners to cite unreasonable workload (16%) and their commute to and from work (16%) as their top workplace stressors.
Higher wage earners are also twice as likely as those in the lowest income bracket to say that nothing about their job stresses them out (18% vs. 9%). American workers 65 and older are more likely than any other age group to say there is nothing about their job that stresses them out (38%).