Younger Workers Report Biggest Gains in Pay Happiness

[Kilgore]

https://www.wsj.com/articles/younger-workers-report-biggest-gains-in-happiness-with-pay-11567071000

American workers under 35 report being happier with their paychecks than people over 55 for the first time since at least 2011, according to a new report from the Conference Board, a business-research organization that polls U.S. employees about workplace satisfaction.

Overall, the share of workers satisfied with their paychecks rose to 46.4% in 2018, from 43% in 2017, an increase that mirrors federal data showing that wage growth accelerated in 2018. The biggest leap came from millennials and Generation Z, whose enthusiasm for their compensation shot from 36% in 2017 to nearly 46% a year later.

Despite the needle-moving moment on salary perceptions, no age group reported that a majority of people were content with their pay. But, in all, nearly 54% of U.S. workers said they were satisfied with their jobs in 2018, the highest share reported in more than two decades, said the Conference Board, which has been polling about workplace satisfaction since 1987.

With unemployment at historic lows and many managers worried about holding on to the employees they have, Americans reported feeling far more secure at work. The share of people who said they were satisfied with their job security jumped to 59.2% in 2018, from 53.8% the prior year.