Shift Worker Sentiment Improves Despite Broader Economic Anxiety

Don't believe the negative hype: At a time when consumer sentiment is near record lows, shift workers' attitudes towards their jobs has actually gotten better over the past year, according to a survey released Tuesday.

Deputy, a global firm that helps small businesses with schedule, human resources and affiliated services, said its annual survey showed a slight uptick in employees who feel good about their jobs and a significant downturn in those unhappy with their jobs.

Those surveyed showed a 78.9% rate of workers who "reported feeling positive at the end of their shifts," up nearly half a percentage point from last year.

At the same time, those feeling unhappy dropped to 5.9%, down from 6.6% and the lowest reading in the survey's four-year history.

Multiple surveys, from groups such as the University of Michigan, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Conference Board, show anxiety about household finances and insecurity about finding work and maintaining employment.

But the responses also come amid demographic changes in the shift-based workforce, with Gen Z, or those born between 1997 and 2012, making up the biggest sector within the group.

"This result comes at a time of significant workforce change," said Silvija Martincevic, CEO at Deputy. "This shift matters because workers at different stages of life report very different experiences at work, making this generational transition an important part of the story behind this year's results."

Best, worst places to live and work

Parsing out the results by category, the theoretically happiest place to clock an eight-hour shift is as a casino worker in Rhode Island.

Gambling led the subsector rankings with a 100% positive rating among respondents. Rhode Island also boasted a perfect score, which the survey narrative attributed to "tight labor markets and robust hospitality and tourism industries, both of which perform well on a national scale."

The popularity of gaming "likely stems from a vibrant customer-facing atmosphere paired with the benefits of tips and collaborative team structures."

More broadly, hospitality had the highest ranking, with an 82.98% positive rating, with retail close behind at 82.62%. Of the four main categories, healthcare had the lowest positive rating, at 72.89%, the second year in a row for an industry that has led the nation in job creation.

Other sub-sectors that scored high positive ratings were firearms stores (89.53%), cafes and coffee shops (89.50%) and accommodation (84.09%). At the bottom of the 10 groups were fast food and cashier restaurants (80.30%) and in-home care (73.14%). The cafe and coffee shop group scored the highest share of "amazing" responses, at 72.64%.

The highest negative responses were from tobacco, e-cigarette and marijuana stores (13.34%), animal health (13.07%) and care facilities (11.55%).

Geographically, Alaska (95.35%) was second after Rhode Island while Hawaii (92.89%) took the third spot. The most negative ratings came in Arkansas (12.68%), New Hampshire (12.31%) and the District of Columbia (11.11%).

Generationally, Alpha scored the most positives at 88.88%, with Gen Z second at 78.42%.

The survey's authors noted the growing number of people in the middle who merely responded "okay" when asked for feelings toward their work. That rose to 15.2% and was the fastest-growing category.

"Workplace morale stays high when businesses focus on reliable scheduling, equitable pay, and meaningful appreciation," the survey said. "On the other hand, neglecting these core requirements frequently leads to employees becoming disengaged or choosing to leave their roles; a failure to address these fundamental needs often results in workers drifting toward neutrality or exiting the organization entirely."