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Job satisfaction in the capital lags behind the North, according to LinkedIn

Workers in London lag behind many of their northern counterparts in terms of job satisfaction according to a new report by professional network LinkedIn.

According to the research, which surveyed 3,500 UK businesses in July, only 39% of workers in the capital felt ‘completely’ or ‘very’ fulfilled at work, less than the likes of Leeds, Glasgow, Manchester and Sheffield, who all ranked higher for work fulfillment.

According to the survey, the UK city with the most satisfied workers was Brighton, where 48% of workers felt at least very fulfilled by their work; by comparison, London sits joint ninth with Liverpool and Cardiff.

Underlining the lack of job satisfaction felt by workers in the capital, over three quarters (79%) said that they would consider another job if approached by a recruiter, and 59% were even prepared to take a pay cut if it meant greater job fulfillment.

LinkedIn’s research also discovered that job satisfaction among those working for smaller businesses was greater than that experienced by workers at bigger firms.

It found that UK SMEs boast the country’s highest levels of worker happiness with companies of fewer than 10 employees containing the happiest employees, while one in five UK workers said they would prefer to work for a smaller company.

However, despite the positive noises from the UK’s working population, SMEs surveyed by LinkedIn still felt they had to work harder to attract talent, as 77% said they believed they had a harder time attracting talent than bigger firms.

Dan Dackombe, Director of LinkedIn Talent Solutions commented: “Thanks to social media, it’s never been easier for smaller employers to effectively engage potential new hires.

“However, our research shows that they feel the need to work harder to recruit despite consistently punching above their weight on employee fulfilment. Our country’s SMEs have a great story to tell and have an opportunity to capitalise on their size when it comes to hiring.”

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