Though Unhappy with Pay, Most Employees Very Satisfied with Coworkers, Finds Monster

 Monster, in partnership with the WageIndicator Foundation, has released data regarding how satisfied employees in the United States and Europe are with their wages. According to the survey data, U.S. wages in small firms are typically about $14 per hour, while U.S. wages in larger firms are about $30 an hour. Though employees at larger companies in the U.S. might be raking in higher wages, employees are still relatively dissatisfied with how much they make. In the U.S., more than 65 percent of employees are not satisfied with their pay. Despite the unhappiness with wages, the majority of employees in the U.S. (77.6 percent) are relatively satisfied with the work relationships they have with their colleagues.

The study revealed that Germany finds the greatest satisfaction across both categories despite the maintaining wages that are similar to those in the U.S. More than half (56.4 percent) of German respondents were satisfied with their pay and 81.4 percent were satisfied with their working relationships with colleagues.

“Today we see a rapidly shifting, dynamic labor market, with pockets of tight demand and others of tight supply. This has made keeping current employees a priority for many employers, so while making room in budgets for pay increases isn’t always an option, there are other things that employers can do to keep employees happy and motivated to work hard,” said Joanie Courtney, Senior Vice President of Market Development at Monster. “Fostering a collaborative and comfortable work environment and encouraging office activities is a great way to keep morale high in the office. In addition, rewarding employees with an extra vacation day when they’re doing great work is another way to show appreciation.”