By Kirstie McDermott
June 2023 was the month when American workers experienced an all-time low in their happiness, according to recent data.
In April 2020, worker happiness was at an all-time high. The pandemic was in play but because the U.S. unemployment rate was at a record-breaking 14.7%, most people were simply happy to have a job.
Now, four years later, the bell has curved again and American workers are experiencing what is being called "The Great Gloom".
From the early uncertainty and illness associated with Covid-19, to subsequent wars, supply chain issues, rising prices, inflation and layoffs, there has been a lot to deal with. And workers are in the doldrums right now.
Decreasing happiness
The data also found that some industries are happier than others. Finance, for example, is the third happiest. That sounds like good news until you dig further into the data––finance workers' happiness levels have declined over the past three years.
With burnout on the rise, a new survey from Headspace, the digital mental health company, has uncovered more statistics about the emotional and physical health of workers in the U.S. and UK.
It found that work stress is bleeding into people's personal lives, with 77% saying that work stress negatively impacted their physical health, and 75% saying it caused them to gain weight.
These stressful work environments are hurting relationships, with 71% saying that work stress ended their relationship. Those in the Gen X cohort have experienced this in greater numbers, with 79% more than any other generation saying stress from work has led to a breakup or divorce.
A worrying 37% said that work stress has resulted in a mental health challenge such as suicidal ideation or substance use.
If work stress is negatively impacting your mental and physical health, then banish your own Great Gloom by seeking a new opportunity this year.
Check out the American Banker Job Board where you'll find thousands of new roles updated daily, like these three.
SVP, Membership (Large Bank Group), American Bankers Association, Washington
The American Bankers Association is the banking industry's champion, and as SVP, Membership, you'll lead efforts to strengthen ABA's relationships and levels of engagement with strategically important stakeholders, such as its larger bank members. You will be responsible for membership retention, recruitment, onboarding, outreach, and engagement for $10B+ institutions; a portfolio which represents around $18 million in ABA dues. Other responsibilities include management of the Large Bank Group team and its respective communications, outreach, operations, billing, programming, and events functions. You'll collaborate with staff across the Office of Member Engagement and ABA – especially on policy-related matters, and will ensure team development opportunities. Apply today.
Director Finance, Honeywell, Houston
As Director Finance, High Growth Regions (HGR) & Commercial, you'll play a key role in driving business outcomes. You will develop integrated orders, revenue and margin analysis, projections, reports and presentations. You will identify trends and developments in competitive environments and present findings to senior management, and will work with the wider team to create and analyze monthly, quarterly, and annual reports to ensure financial information has been recorded accurately. Ten years' of relevant finance experience is required as is a Bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field, along with extensive financial systems and reporting experience and experience developing forecasts and operating plans. See more requirements here.
Finance - Global Fund Finance - BXC Drawdowns Associate, Blackstone Group, NJ
Blackstone is the world's largest alternative asset manager, with $1 trillion in assets under management including investment vehicles focused on private equity, real estate, public debt and equity, infrastructure, life sciences, growth equity, opportunistic, non-investment grade credit, real assets and secondary funds, all on a global basis. As the Finance - Global Fund Finance - BXC Drawdowns Associate, you'll be overseeing the monthly/daily NAV and portfolio reconciliation process; investigating and resolving discrepancies with administrators and internal operations teams; preparing and reviewing capital calls and distributions allocations, and calculating management fee, distributions, waterfall allocations, and IRR, among other tasks. Three or more years' of public accounting/private equity experience, preferably public accounting and asset management, are required, along with a CPA and advanced Excel skills. See all the responsibilities here.
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