Industries with high job satisfaction vary somewhat between Europe, the United States and Asia. In the United States, information technology, social services, healthcare and creative services were some of the industries with the highest levels of satisfaction in 2011. European countries tend to see higher levels of job satisfaction amongst workers in the education, health and social services industries. As a region, Asia reports high job satisfaction among workers in the construction, manufacturing, communication and finance industries.
Regardless of industry, high job satisfaction is more likely to be linked to small companies that give workers autonomy and control over their job duties. Higher levels of education often correspond to higher levels of satisfaction, as educated workers seem to gravitate towards white-collar employment and supervisory positions. In Europe, female employees are reported to have higher levels of satisfaction as the expectations put on them by their employers tend to be less than those put on males. Higher expectations can sometimes lead to increased stress levels, which can cause lower job satisfaction.
Information technology is one of the industries with high job satisfaction in the United States. Some of the jobs in this industry include systems engineers, network administrators, and help desk support specialists. Employees in the information technology field are likely to be well-educated, receive adequate to high levels of pay and have some degree of creative control. Healthcare is another U.S. industry with high levels of satisfaction, which may be due to the intrinsic rewards obtained from helping those in need and the ample job opportunities in this sector.
Some of the sectors in Europe with high job satisfaction levels include education and social services. Teachers and administrators are not only educated, but must help design curriculum for students. Education is a field that allows employees to feel as though they are making a difference and see firsthand results of their efforts. Social service jobs may focus on extending psychological, emotional and physical support to members of the population who are in distress or who need assistance in bettering their lives.
Asian countries experience low job satisfaction across many economic sectors. Many countries experience abnormal levels of job-hopping and have difficulty retaining employees due to indifferent employee attitudes. Two industries that seem to maintain adequate levels of satisfaction include banking and construction. Some of this may be due to better attitudes amongst employees qualified to work in these fields and in the labor market's natural forces of supply and demand.
