Job satisfaction is plummeting among UK workers, according to the CIPD’s latest quarterly Employee Outlook survey.

The survey shows that the CIPD net employee job satisfaction score has dipped substantially from +46 to +37 since the spring.

The research also shows that the proportion of people that ideally would like to change jobs has increased from 34% to 40% since April.

Claire McCartney, resourcing and talent planning adviser, CIPD, says: “Back in the spring we interpreted such high job satisfaction in the face of the recession as a ‘fixed grin’, where employees felt lucky enough just to have a job.

“It seems that in this quarter the fixed grin is slipping and the temporary goodwill is being replaced with increasing frustration. There is a danger this could undermine productivity and competitiveness among firms where the problem is acute, putting any sustainable recovery at risk.”