Which cities have the UK's happiest employees?
The UK's cheeriest workers are to be found in Norwich, a survey has revealed.
Research from business psychologists OPP indicates that there are big regional differences in levels of employee satisfaction. And it's Norwich that tops the list, with 77% of workers saying they are happy in their current job.
The city consistently does well in the quality of life stakes, and was tipped last year as the best place in the country to be a child. It's also been rated the 13th most friendly place in the UK - which may well help to keep workplaces happy.
Liverpool and Birmingham do almost as well, though, with satisfaction ratings of 76% and 74% respectively. But things are very different in Newcastle and Cardiff, where only 64% of employees feel contented at work, and in Glasgow, where the figure's 66%.
But the good news is that employee happiness across the UK is on the rise, with more than a third of people saying that they feel more satisfied at work than they did last year. The main reasons are improvements in workload, salary increases and changes in management.
The most miserable sector is finance, where 18% describe themselves as very or quite dissatisfied. Workers in retail, catering and leisure and manufacturing and utilities aren't much more cheerful, with one in six saying they feel discontented at work.
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The most satisfying careers seem on the whole to be the most demanding, with 79% of workers in architecture, engineering and building feeling satisfied in their roles, and a similar number in sales, media and marketing.
But while most people feel satisfied at work, this doesn't necessarily translate into feelings of success. More than three in ten UK workers say they don't feel successful at work, with 35% saying that this is because they don't get the support they need from their employer.
Thirty-six percent say they need more clear communication, while 30% call for more clarity in decision making.
"Although it is great to see employee happiness on the rise, our research shows that job satisfaction doesn't fully translate into feeling successful at work. Employees highlight that improving communication within organisations is particularly important," says John Hackston, head of research at OPP.
"Effective communication will not only improve performance and decision-making but also enables employees to better understand the organisation's strategy. By addressing the factors that affect workplace satisfaction, businesses can help their employees achieve their full potential."
UK cities with the happiest employees
1. Norwich
2. Liverpool
3. Birmingham
4. Brighton
5. Plymouth
6. Sheffield
7. Nottingham
8. Manchester
