How satisfied are Americans with their jobs? What gives people the most satisfaction at work? And how much leisure time do they really have? In anticipation of Labor Day, AEI conducted a press briefing on August 27 to answer those questions. The Institute's chief polling expert, Karlyn H. Bowman, gathered and reviewed data on Americans' attitudes toward work and leisure as reported by major survey organizations. Guy D. Molyneux of Peter D. Hart Research Associates and Thomas Riehle of Ipsos-Reid Polling discussed her findings.

Popular commentators like to assert that Americans face a time crunch due to increased obligations at work and less time away from the job. But according to the polling data Bowman analyzed, that is not actually the case. "Most workers are satisfied with their jobs and leisure, although leisure is being redefined," she said.

Eighty-eight percent of Americans are satisfied with their jobs at present, said Riehle, and that has remained largely unchanged for more than a quarter-century. For at least half of Americans, work gives them their sense of identity, and a large number of workers believe that the job they do is essential to the success of their organization. They feel that their opinions matter and that they are treated with respect, and perhaps surprisingly, most believe they are fairly compensated. It is not difficult for most workers to take time off from work for personal matters. Less than 15 percent of workers, Riehle said, fear layoffs, discrimination, the threat of technology replacing them, or globalization. Finally, according to Bowman's analysis, job stress has not escalated over the past half-century.

Molyneux agreed that the findings dispel many negative myths about the workplace today but cautioned that some groups are not so satisfied with their jobs. For example, although most respondents report little experience with discrimination, African Americans are more likely to believe that improvements are needed. People earning less also tend to say that their workplace needs improvement.

Those in the information technology and engineering fields, Molyneux said, are more satisfied with their work conditions, the respect they receive, and their compensation than are people in the fields of education and nursing. Younger workers are less satisfied with their jobs than are older workers, added Bowman, in part because they are starting out with low salaries.

Riehle argued that the main criterion of job satisfaction varies around the world. U.S. and European workers cite job content as the most important determinant of their satisfaction, with pay following close behind in the United States and quality of management coming second in Europe. In Latin America and Asia, on the other hand, job security and the potential for advancement are more important.

As for leisure, large majorities of workers say they are satisfied with number of hours they work and the amount of leisure time they have. Contrary to popular belief, only a small percentage have long commutes or use laptops for taking work home, said Bowman.

Workers report enjoying their time off more than their time on the job, and they add that technology makes leisure time more enjoyable. Riehle's new poll found that when Americans' leisure time suffers, they experience increased levels of stress both on and off the job.

A comparison of recent polls with those from midcentury found that leisure time is being redefined. Vacations were once used for work of other kinds, such as for charity or housework, or to recharge for one's job. Now Americans are growing more comfortable with the idea of leisure for itself.