Participants
1023
Age Groups
18-25
292
26-35
412
36-45
196
46-55
98
55-65
34
65+
9
Gender
Male
292
Female
412
Non-binary
196
65+
9
Countries
64
India
190
Kenya
125
United States
80
China
65
United Kingdom
48
Canada
44
Indonesia
35
Brazil
31
Chile
29
Vietnam
23
Israel
23
Egypt
22
Pakistan
20
South Korea
17
Italy
17
Germany
17
Mexico
16
Philippines
15
Japan
15
Kazakhstan 20
14
France
14
Spain
12
Romania
11
Bangladesh
11
Australia
11
Türkiye
9
Russian Federation
9
Argentina
9
South Africa
8
Morocco
8
Poland
6
Malaysia
6
Malawi
6
Saudi Arabia
5
United Arab Emirates
4
Ireland (Republic)
4
Belgium
4
Ukraine
3
Switzerland
3
Austria 40
3
Algeria
3
Singapore
2
Portugal
2
Norway
2
Netherlands
2
Greece
2
Finland
2
Croatia
2
Syria
1
Sweden
1
Slovakia
1
Saint Vincent & the Grenadines
1
New Zealand
1
Luxembourg
1
Hungary
1
Ghana
1
Denmark
1
Czech Republic
1
Cuba
1
Armenia
1
Angola
1
Andorra
1
People want work and economic security
A person's economic situation is also a strong predictor of whether they feel they have a good job. Half of financially comfortable respondents say they have a good job by their own definition, compared to just 12% of those who are struggling (Chart 21c). Nearly half of struggling respondents say their job is not good, while a small majority of the “struggling” and “getting by” groups are ambivalent.
Do you have a "good" job?
Job satisfaction by economic situation
Overall
1,024
32%
52%
16%
Struggling
43
12%
42%
46%
Stretched
222
19%
53%
28%
Getting by
467
25%
59%
16%
Comfortable
292
50%
42%
8%
Good job
Okay
Not good
But what is it that makes a job “good”? When asked, respondents prioritize material stability over meaning, dignity, and even safety. Good pay, reasonable hours and time for family, and job security cluster tightly at the top. Meaningful work that helps others comes fourth at 16%, with respect, dignity and safe working conditions well behind at 5% each (Chart 17).
What makes a job "good"?
Percentage selecting each factor in their top two priorities (n=1,026)
Good pay
21%
Reasonable hours / time for family
21%
Job security and stability
20%
Meaningful work that helps others
16%
Opportunity to learn and advance
12%
Respect and dignity
5%
Safe working conditions
5%
0
5
10
15
20
25
But this hierarchy shifts depending on people's current circumstances. Among those without good jobs, 35% rank good pay as the most important factor. Among those who already have good jobs, pay drops to 12% and meaningful work rises to 20%, becoming their top priority (Chart 18). This is a straightforward Maslow effect: where basic needs are met, people value time; where they aren't, they value money. It corroborates the pattern shown in chart 12, where richer regions are more likely to favor free time over additional income.
The aspiration gap: what do people want in a job?
Percentage selecting each factor — by whether they currently have a "good job"
Good pay
35%
22%
12%
Reasonable hours / time for family
18%
23%
18%
Job security and stability
23%
20%
18%
Meaningful work that helps others
12%
14%
20%
Opportunities to learn and advance
7%
12%
15%
Respect and dignity
3%
4%
9%
Safe working conditions
3%
4%
8%
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
Yes, my job is a "good" job (272)
Somewhat, my job is okay (449)
No, my job is not a "good" job (146)