Overview
- The 2025 British Social Attitudes survey, carried out between August and October 2025, found overall job satisfaction fell to 74% from 81% in 2015, the lowest level recorded in the survey's history.
- The share of working-age adults who want full-time work dropped from 57% in 2015 to 47% in 2025, a fall the report says was driven entirely by men and was largest for men aged 30 to 49 (86% to 67%).
- Several measures of job quality have worsened since 2015: the share reporting their job is interesting fell from 74% to 63%, perceived opportunities for advancement fell from 35% to 26%, and willingness to work harder for their employer fell from 69% to 55%.
- Workers put more weight on flexible hours and pay than a decade ago but many jobs do not deliver them: 61% now say deciding hours is important while only 31% can, and 78% say high income matters while just 23% feel their job provides it.
- Resolution Foundation economists and report authors say these trends could lower labour supply and drag on productivity and living standards, and they call for further research and employer and policy responses to address the mismatch.