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A new International Herald Tribune/France 24/Harris Interactive survey finds that, overall, in the United States and the five largest European countries, people are mostly satisfied with their jobs. At least two-thirds of each country's workers say they are satisfied, with Italy having the lowest satisfaction numbers (67%) and Spain having the highest (83%).

In their current jobs, the top two most important aspects are the interesting nature and the salary. In Great Britain, France, Italy and Germany, the interesting nature of the job comes ahead of salary for importance. For Spanish and American workers, however, salary is more important than the interesting nature of their jobs. The working hours are third for each of the countries in importance.

These are some of the results of anIHT/France 24/Harris Interactive Surveyconducted online by Harris Interactive® among a total of 6,473 adults aged 16 to 64 within France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain and the United States, and adults aged 18 to 64 in Italy, between September 6 and 17, 2007.

Looking specifically at pay, over three in five US workers (63%) say they are well-paid, and this is the highest of the six countries. Just half of British workers (52%), German workers (51%) and Spanish employees (50%) say they are well-paid. Over half of workers in France (54%) and half of Italian workers (50%) say they are badly paid. In fact, one in five (20%) Italian workers believe they are very badly paid.
In fact, at least a plurality of workers in five of the six countries say they would prefer to work and earn the same amount as they currently do showing how they do feel about their pay. Italy is the one exception as just over a third (36%) of Italian workers feel the same while half of them (50%) would prefer to work more and earn more than they currently do. Working less and earning less is not something workers want. While one in ten Spanish workers (11%) would want this, they are the highest of the six countries.

While it may be the theme of many a television show and movie, on average, workers do not dislike their bosses. Just under one-quarter (23%) of Italian workers say they dislike their current boss and they are the highest of the six countries. On the flip side, two-thirds of U.S. workers (65%) like their current boss with almost half (46%) saying they like their boss very much. Majorities in Great Britain (56%) and France (52%) also like their boss and just under half of Italian workers (48%) and German workers (47%) feel the same. Spanish workers are a bit more mixed. One-third like their boss (34%) and 16 percent dislike their current boss, while 38 percent of Spanish workers neither like nor dislike their boss.

Like with pay, on the most part, people believe the number of holidays workers have in their respective countries is sufficient. Almost three-quarters of French adults (74%) believe the number of days is sufficient as do seven in ten (71%) of Germans and two-thirds (66%) of Italians. Just over half (55%) of Spaniards also feel this way about vacation days. Feelings are more mixed in the U.S. as 42 percent of Americans believe vacation days are sufficient and the same number believes they are insufficient. Great Britain is the only country where more think the number of vacation days is insufficient - 45 percent say insufficient and 37 percent believe the number of days is sufficient.

TABLE 1 JOB SATISFACTION
"Thinking about your current job, how satisfied would you say you are with it?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who currently work
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
SATISFIED (NET)		72		80		67		83		73		80
Very satisfied		32		26		15		26		32		42
Somewhat satisfied		40		53		52		57		41		38
DISSATISFIED (NET)		27		20		32		16		27		19
Somewhat dissatisfied		18		16		22		11		18		11
Very dissatisfied		9		4		10		6		8		8
Not sure		1		*		1		*		*		1
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding "*" = less than 0.5%

TABLE 2 MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF JOB
"Of the following aspects relating to jobs, which one is the most important to you in your current job?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who currently work
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
The interesting nature of the job		36		44		37		25		44		28
The salary		33		30		29		28		25		32
The working hours		17		15		12		17		16		19
Your current work colleagues		8		5		8		16		10		6
Any additional work benefits you receive		3		4		8		7		1		11
Not sure		4		2		6		6		4		4
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 3 PAY CONDITIONS
"And now, thinking about your current pay conditions, would you say that you are...?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who currently work
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
WELL PAID (NET)		52		42		46		50		51		63
Very well paid		7		1		4		6		5		12
Somewhat well paid		45		41		42		44		46		51
BADLY PAID (NET)		44		54		50		49		44		35
Somewhat badly paid		39		46		30		35		36		28
Very badly paid		5		8		20		14		8		7
Not sure		4		4		3		2		6		3
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 4 PREFERRED WORK SCENARIO
"The issue of working hours is often a regularly debated subject in some countries. Thinking about your current personal situation, if you had a choice, which of the following work scenarios would you prefer?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who currently work
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
I would prefer to work and earn the same amount as I currently do		49		44		36		41		46		44
I would prefer to work more and earn more than I currently do		33		43		50		33		39		43
I would prefer to work less and earn less than I currently do		9		5		8		11		7		5
Not sure		9		9		6		15		8		7

Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 5 ATTITUDE TOWARDS CURRENT BOSS
"Using the scale below, how much do you like or dislike your current boss?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults who currently work
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
LIKE (NET)		56		52		48		34		47		65
Like very much		29		19		19		9		20		46
Like somewhat		27		33		29		25		27		19
Neither like nor dislike		18		24		17		38		22		14
DISLIKE (NET)		13		14		23		16		13		10
Dislike somewhat		8		8		15		11		8		6
Dislike very much		5		6		8		5		5		4
I don't have a boss		11		8		10		9		16		11
Not sure		2		1		2		3		2		2
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 6 HOLIDAY SATISFACTION
"Overall, would you say that the number of days of holiday employees have in [Great Britain, France, Italy, Spain, Germany, The United States] is...?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
SUFFICIENT (NET)		37		74		66		55		71		42
Very sufficient		8		29		25		9		22		11
Somewhat sufficient		29		45		41		46		49		31
INSUFFICIENT (NET)		45		23		28		40		27		42
Somewhat insufficient		32		18		20		31		22		26
Very insufficient		13		5		8		9		5		16
Not sure		18		3		6		5		3		16
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

TABLE 7 EMPLOYMENT
"Do you currently work, either full time or part-time?"
Base: All EU adults in five countries and US adults
		Great Britain		France		Italy		Spain		Germany		United States
	%		%		%		%		%		%
YES (NET)		71		71		77		68		71		69
Yes, full time		53		59		61		54		53		54
Yes, part-time		18		12		16		14		18		15
No		28		29		23		32		28		31
Note: Percentages may not add up to 100% due to rounding

ThisIHT/France 24/Harris Interactive Surveywas conducted online by Harris Interactive among a total of 6,473 adults (aged 16-64) within France, Germany, Great Britain, Spain, and the United States and adults (aged 18-64) in Italy between 6 and 17 September 2007. Figures for age, sex, education, region and Internet usage were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population. Propensity score weighting was used to adjust for respondents' propensity to be online.

All sample surveys and polls, whether or not they use probability sampling, are subject to multiple sources of error which are most often not possible to quantify or estimate, including sampling error, coverage error, error associated with nonresponse, error associated with question wording and response options, and post-survey weighting and adjustments. Therefore, Harris Interactive avoids the words "margin of error" as they are misleading.

All that can be calculated are different possible sampling errors with different probabilities for pure, unweighted, random samples with 100% response rates. These are only theoretical because no published polls come close to this ideal.

Respondents for this survey were selected from among those who have agreed to participate in Harris Interactive surveys. The data have been weighted to reflect the composition of the adult populations of the respective countries. Because the sample is based on those who agreed to participate in the Harris Interactive panel, no estimates of theoretical sampling error can be calculated.

These statements conform to the principles of disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls and of the British Polling Council.

Harris Interactive is the 13th largest and one of the fastest-growing market research firms in the world. The company provides innovative research, insights and strategic advice to help its clients make more confident decisions which lead to measurable and enduring improvements in performance. Harris Interactive is widely known for The Harris Poll, one of the longest running, independent opinion polls and for pioneering online market research methods. The company has built what it believes to be the world's largest panel of survey respondents, the Harris Poll Online. Harris Interactive serves clients worldwide through its North American, European and Asian offices, and through a global network of independent market research firms. More information about Harris Interactive may be obtained atwww.harrisinteractive.com.

To become a member ofthe Harris Poll Online and be invited to participate in online surveys,register atwww.harrispollonline.com.

Six Nation Survey Finds Satisfaction With Current Job; American Workers Most Likely to Feel Well-Paid and to Like Their Boss