Indeed conducted a study on employee satisfaction and happiness that revealed which cities have the happiest and least happy American workers. With access to more than 10 million users around the world, the job search site asked employees to rank companies based on factors like compensation and benefits, job security and advancement, management, work-life balance and culture.
The survey showed how 35 countries stacked up, with Colombia as the highest and Japan as the lowest in terms of overall job satisfaction. However, a more in-depth analysis was done for cities in the United States and Europe.
Below are the U.S. cities ranking for happiest and least happy cities for workers:
Top 10 Happiest:
1. Los Angeles, CA
2. Miami, FL
3. San Diego, CA
4. Providence, RI
5. San Francisco, CA
6. New Orleans, LA
7. Washington, DC
8. Boston, MA
9. Riverside, CA
10. San Jose, CA
Top 10 Least Happy:
1. Denver, CO
2. Indianapolis, IN
3. Louisville, KY
4. Pittsburgh, PA
5. Richmond, VA
6. Cincinnati, OH
7. Salt Lake City, UT
8. Charlotte, NC
9. Oklahoma City, OK
10. Nashville, TN
Five of the top 10 happiest cities are located in California where there is a thriving tech industry that offers some of the greatest perks for its employees. "California remains a strong draw for talent, in part due to the tech industry, so it's not surprising to see many workers in the state are invested in their jobs and show above-average levels of satisfaction," Tara Sinclair, Indeed's chief economist, said.
Indeed also noted that jobs related to voluntarism and public service - such as teaching and childcare - are ranked as the happiest jobs across the United States. In contrast, Denver was ranked as the least ideal city for job satisfaction and happiness, despite ranking high on Forbes' best list for business and careers.
It is admission counselors in Denver who have the unhappiest jobs, as they are tasked to advise young people of school rejections. Also ranked as jobs with the lowest satisfaction and happiness are security officers and truck drivers who have little or no interaction with co-workers for a long period of time.
