If you happen to work in El Paso, Reno or Cleveland, and you’re constantly down in the dumps—don’t worry; you’re not alone
These three cities are where some of the nation’s unhappiest workers are, according to online career site CareerBliss.com.
It’s no surprise that most of the unhappiest places have frigid winters or sweltering summers. Unwelcomed snowstorms and dreaded heat waves can affect your happiness, but so can income, workplace environment, and career opportunities (or lack thereof).
“Happiness is based on a multitude of factors,” says Matt Miller, chief technology officer and co-founder of CareerBliss. “It is clear that employees need not only a positive and rewarding work culture, but opportunities to grow within their company and their city.”
This list of the happiest and unhappiest cities to work in, compiled by CareerBliss, is based on analysis of more than 36,000 independent employee reviews between Nov. 2011 and Nov. 2012.
Employees all over the country were asked to evaluate ten factors that affect workplace happiness. Those include one’s relationship with the boss and co-workers, work environment, job resources, compensation, growth opportunities, company culture, company reputation, daily tasks, and control over the work done does on a daily basis.
They evaluated each factor on a five-point scale and also indicated how important it was to their overall happiness. The numbers were combined to find an overall rating of employee happiness for each respondent, and then they were sorted by geographic location to find the happiest and unhappiest cities for employees. (These aren’t necessarily the "best" and "worst" cities to live in; they’re simply the places where workers are most and least happy right now, according to CareerBliss data.)
Heading the list of the unhappiest U.S. cities to work in is Boulder, Colo., with an index score of 3.45. Boulder workers expressed the most pessimism in the Growth Opportunities and Compensation categories, which scored 2.81 and 3.29, respectively.
In the No. 2 spot is Reno, Nevada. It earned an index score of 3.61. Workers there are most dissatisfied with their growth opportunities and corporate culture, and most satisfied with their colleagues and daily work tasks.
The third unhappiest city to work in is Wichita, Kansas, which earned an index score of 3.65.
Rounding out the top five are Fresno, Calif., and Little Rock, Arkansas. These cities earned index scores of 3.69 and 3.70, respectively.
CareerBliss also compiled a less gloomy list: The Happiest Cities To Work In.
If you’re hoping to smile more at work, think about moving to Knoxville, Virginia Beach or St. Louis. Those are three of the happiest places to work.
But the most content workers of all are in Dayton, Ohio. With an index score of 4.02, employees in Dayton said they are more than satisfied with the people they work with and their daily tasks.
“The people you work with has a great impact on happiness,” Miller says. “In the cities that ranked highest, co-workers and one’s direct manager had a great influence on how that city fared compared to others.”
Knoxville holds the No. 2 spot, closely followed by Honolulu, Hawaii. These cities earned a 4.02 index score, and 4.00, respectively.
Memphis (3.99) and Pittsburgh (3.96) round out the top five.
“Bigger is not always better when it comes to finding happiness,” says Heidi Golledge, chief executive and co-founder of CareerBliss. “As you can see, cities such as Dayton, Honolulu and Memphis reveal that even mid-size cities can provide rewarding and positive work environments for people.”
She says everyone should be able to find a job that truly makes them happy. “Through our unique tools, three million jobs, company reviews and salary information, we want every person who is looking for a job in 2013 to be equipped with the resources they need to find true career bliss,” Golledge concludes.
Click here to see CareerBliss’ complete lists of the 10 happiest and 10 unhappiest cities to work in.
This is an update of a piece that ran previously.
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