Working nine to five may not be an option for many, but even with longer hours, increased stress and fears over job security, more people in Britain say they are happier at work than ever. The surprising findings have been unveiled in new research from the British Social Attitudes Survey (BSA), published by NatCen Social Research. Since 1983, the BSA has asked around 3,000 people what it’s like to live in Britain and has been tracking changes in people’s social, political and moral attitudes. The survey reveals that many of us are happier with the type of job we do. According to the BSA findings, 71 percent felt they had a “good” job, with the latter described as interesting, helping others and offering chances of advancement, compared to 62 percent in 2005 and 57 percent in 1989. The survey also found that 62 percent of people who took part in the survey say they would enjoy working, even if money was not a consideration, up from 49 percent in 2005. But this answer also showed there was a divide in social class and education. Among professional and managerial occupations, 63 percent disagreed a job is solely about money. This dropped to 34 percent for people in routine or semi-routine occupations. Meanwhile, workers’ stress levels have increased since the 1980s. In 1989, 28 percent of workers said they felt stressed “always” or “often”. Today, that figure has risen to 37 percent. Professional and managerial workers and those aged 35 to 44 are more likely to feel stressed. The survey suggests the rising number of graduates in the workforce – 10 percent in 1984 to 24 percent now – has changed the nature of the labour market, as graduates tend to command higher wages and are more likely to work in a professional or managerial job. There are also more women in the workforce. In 1984, 74 percent of men aged 18 to 59 had a job, compared to 60 percent of women. Today, those figures stand at 77 percent for men and 67 percent for women. While there has been some improvement, the pay gap between men and women ‘remains significant’ – at 9.4 percent in difference between earnings. There are also more people working for themselves today compared to 15 years ago, with 4.5 million workers listed as ‘self-employed’. The survey says, “Self-employment may be portrayed positively as a sign of flexibility and an entrepreneurial spirit. However, some people may feel compelled to enter self-employment if more standard employment is not available.” Overall, the survey authors say the findings show a ‘fairly healthy picture in terms of public attitudes to work and experiences of work, with little sign of any lasting negative impact of the recession. “Over the longer-term, we have found improvements in many key measures relating to job satisfaction, non-financial motivations to work and perceived job quality. This isn’t to say that everyone has the job attributes that they desire. For some, job security remains an elusive concept, yet it is that that people most value.” The survey also suggests British workers are more willing to prioritise their career, even at the expense of eating into family time, and view professional success as leading to personal happiness. Dr Stephanie Morgan, an occupational psychologist at Kingston Business School in London, told The Sunday Telegraph, “For all the talk of work-life balance, there isn’t much indication that we are getting it. But it has been accepted that (work itself) is part of being happy. There has been a lot more talk of having an identity at work and getting meaning out of work and being able to continue when we retire, having relationships and seeing people and all the important things which come from having a job.”