U.S. Workers Feel The Stress
Take the results of a new survey and the findings of a new study, and it looks like American workers are feeling more stressed out as they put in more hours on the job, reports CBS News Correspondent Sandra Hughes.
Unemployment in the United States is at an all-time low and the economy is booming. But, according to the results of a new Gallup survey, workplace stress and rage are right up there along with the employment levels.
A total of 16 percent said that, in the last 12 months, their co-workers had made them so angry, they wanted to hit them.
"Overall, anger in the workplace is up somewhat over the last year," says Ed LaFreniere, managing editor of the Marlin Group, a publisher of motivational, educational and safety materials for companies, for which Gallup runs the survey every Labor Day. "Last year, people who said they were angry to any degree amounted to 42 percent. This year, it's up to 49 percent."
Who wants to hit their co-workers?
- Clerical workers: 22 percent
- Skilled/semiskilled laborers: 15 percent
- Professional/Managers: 12 percent
LaFreniere suggests it's because the big growth industry is in the services sector, and more office workers are likely to deal in customer service. These workers report the lowest level of job satisfaction, and they also tend to be monitored more closely.
"They can't walk out of the building, take a break, and stick their tongue out at the world," LaFreniere adds.
Which people are most stressed at work?
- Women. Explains LaFreniere, "There's still a pay gap and a glass ceiling."
- Workers ages 35 to 49. "They're at their peak earning years and paying the bulk of their mortgage commitments."
- Managers, college graduates, and workers earning $75,000 a year or more. "People with more education and higher income tend to be managers or professionals. They're working longer hours in part because there's a worker shortage, and managers are having to compensate for that."
How might a person better manage stress?
- Follow your passions.
- Spend time with your favorite people.
- Help your loved ones.
- Exercise, get enough sleep, and eat a low-fat diet.
- Look for humor everywhere.
- Try to keep life in perspective.
Lawrence Jeff Johnson, the author of the report, says in Sweden, they work about 1,500 hours per year, and in France, 1,656 hours. In the U.S., it's about 2,000 hours per year, but U.S. productivity stll registers lower than those countries.
"We look at it this way," explains Johnson. "The U.S. is registering strong productivity. There's no doubt there. Americans are in the lead in several ways, but what we're seeing in several countries, they're increasing the utilization of skills, labor, better educated and trained labor. Several of these countries had very long gaps to fill. They started adapting new methodologies, new labor and new training skills, and they're improving at a faster rate than the U.S."