Workers value pay above job satisfaction

BRITISH workers are putting pay above job satisfaction when changing jobs, in a reversal of priorities from last year, a survey has shown.

The survey of 2,000 employees across all sectors by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found 54 per cent of workers see pay as the main reason for wanting to change jobs, whereas last year 61 per cent cited job satisfaction as their priority.

In an environment of pay freezes, high inflation and slow growth, 36 per cent of those surveyed reported a decline in the quality of life in the past six months, the CIPD said.

"Besides being more likely to want to leave for more pay elsewhere, workers with financial difficulties are also more likely to report being under stress at work and are typically less satisfied with their jobs," said Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser at CIPD.

In the survey, 18 per cent said they almost or almost always run out of money before pay day, and the same proportion said they find paying the bills a constant struggle, the CIPD said.

The number of Britons claiming unemployment benefit saw its biggest jump in two years last month, while the jobless rate remained at 7.7 per cent and average earnings grew at around half the rate of inflation.

The survey showed public sector workers are the least engaged with their jobs, with 35 per cent of them fearing they could lose their jobs amid steep government cuts, the CIPD said.