Job Satisfaction Low Amongst Young Adults, Poll Finds
Finding a job often presents a unique and formidable challenge for young job applicants, but according to new research, finding a job they like may be an even greater challenge. According to a recent poll conducted by the polling company Woman Trend, a primary research and consulting firm, 43 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 are unhappy in their current job. The poll commissioned by Generation Opportunity, a nonpartisan organization that solicits the opinions of young adults who are "dissatisfied with the status quo and willing to create a better tomorrow," highlights the challenge that younger job seekers face in today's tough economic times.
"The unemployment numbers are particularly concerning when you consider that 43 percent of young adults are not satisfied with their current level of employment," Paul T. Conway, Generation Opportunity president, said in a statement. "Every day, at a very personal level, young adults are being negatively impacted by the poor economy."
As a result, 77 percent of people ages 18 to 29 said they will have to postpone major life decisions as a result of the dissatisfaction they have with their current jobs or their inability to find a job. The research showed that:
- 44 percent will delay buying a home
- 28 percent will have to put off saving for retirement
- 27 percent will delay paying off student loans or other debt
- 27 percent will postpone going back to school to receive more education or training
- 26 percent will put off delay changing jobs
- 23 percent will delay starting a family
- 18 percent will postpone getting married
For the 32nd consecutive month, unemployment was at or around 9 percent, according to the October unemployment report released Nov. 4 by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The challenge of finding a job for young job seekers may be even stiffer than in the general population, as there is increased competition from more experienced out-of-work professionals for fewer available jobs.
Young Americans are also becoming increasingly disenchanted with their elected leaders as their frustration on this issue grows. According to the poll results, only 31 percent of people ages 18 to 29 approve of the job that President Barack Obama is doing in regards to unemployment issues in the youth population.
"(The Nov. 4 unemployment) report once again highlights the unemployment crisis for young people," said Conway, a former chief of staff of the U.S. Department of Labor.