How do blue collar workers feel about their jobs in 2022?

June 21, 2022

Fewer blue collar workers seem to be satisfied with their jobs in 2022 than in 2021. In the recently released results of our 2022 Voice of the Blue-Collar Worker survey, where 19,500 employees were surveyed, workers answered a variety of questions including those that indicate how they feel about their jobs.

Overall satisfaction
When it came to overall job satisfaction, the results came in at 5% lower than last year. This reduction was spread across age groups with younger people being slightly less satisfied and those over the age of 45 being more satisfied. The survey also showed that female workers were more likely to be satisfied at their jobs and male workers were more likely to be looking for a new job.

When it came to being satisfied at their current job, 77% of those surveyed reported being "somewhat," "very" or "extremely satisfied."

Industry satisfaction
But there's more to everyone's situation and there are factors that can't be captured in a single question. For example, is it the specific job they are or aren't satisfied with? Or is it the entire industry? For 67% of workers, the results indicate that they plan to stay in their industry. These results varied by industry, however, with more than half of those in logistics or manufacturing answering that they are actively looking or would entertain a different job.

Financial future
When asked if they were optimistic about their financial future, 91% responded "Yes." This was a new question on the survey, so there isn't a way to compare how the percentage stacks up against previous years. The report notes that this optimism may come from the high number of job openings and higher pay that people are seeing in 2022. However, because of inflation, the average worker is still only slightly ahead of where they were financially as far back as the year 2002.

Making improvements
How can workers be motivated to stay in their industry and find job satisfaction? The results of the survey also showed what's most important to workers. These factors were pay rate, job security, shift/schedule and enjoying the work. Managers and business owners looking to raise employee satisfaction should turn to these points and ensure they're doing all they can in each category. Pay rate should be at least the industry standard to retain employees, and a sense of both security and flexibility go a long way as well. While it may seem inconvenient to adjust an employee's schedule, at this point in time you may lose them if you don't work with them. Given the high number of jobs available, employees need incentives to stay. It's far more costly to hire and train new workers, so think of that before anything else when it comes to changing the conditions to ensure a satisfactory experience for everyone.