If you’re feeling more stress at work, at least you’re not alone. Workplace stress is on the rise in the U.S., according to a report recently published by the American Psychological Association.
In researching its report, the American Psychological Association conducted three polls between April and September, 2008. A total of 6,827 Americans age 18 and older took part in the polls.
Nearly half of the Americans polled indicated that their stress level had increased since 2007. Up to 30 percent ranked their average stress level in the extreme range from 8-10, where 10 indicated “a great deal of stress”.
The polls showed that increased stress levels were primarily linked to the current economic crisis in some way, shape or form. As main sources of stress linked to the economy, 81 percent cited money, 80 percent cited the economy itself and 67 percent cited work.
Employees reported more lost productivity at work due to stress in 2008, than they did in 2007. Employees indicated that their main causes of stress at work were:
- Job stability (56 percent)
- Low salary (49 percent)
- Heavy workload (43 percent)
- Lack of opportunity for job growth and advancement (43 percent)
- Unrealistic job expectations (40 percent)
- Job insecurity (34 percent)
Employees also indicated the following as causes of stress at work.
- 56 percent indicated that job demands had interfered with family or home responsibilities
- 47 percent indicated that home life had interfered with work
- 33 percent ranked balancing work and family life in the range between somewhat to very difficult
- 33 percent of men and 36 percent of women ranked work interfering with personal time, as a somewhat to very significant source of stress at work
For more details about the results of the polls, see “2008 Stress in America” by the American Psychological Association.
