Weep For the Well-Educated

Knowledge workers, also known as “the creative class” in the parlance of economist and social scientist Richard Florida, make their living by fostering innovation, resolving problems, and thinking strategically. Sounds interesting, right? And familiar, too, as it may describe your job. But a survey from GfK Custom Research North America conveys a different part of the story: Despite high engagement with their jobs, these highly-educated types have greater levels of stress than other workers. They struggle for work-life balance, and worry about getting job security – although Baseline has to wonder, really, who doesn’t deal with this kind of stuff? "Greater education opens the door to more opportunities in the job market,” says Thomas Hartley, vice president of GfK Customer Loyalty and Employee Engagement. “But with that comes higher levels of responsibility and pressure to deliver results.” More than 30,000 employees worldwide took part in the research. For more about the survey, click here.