Why Do Employees Stay On The Job?

The United States currently has more jobs available to willing workers than at any other time in the nation’s history.

To help employers better understand how to retain workers, the Manufacturing Institute’s Center for Manufacturing Research partnered with the American Psychological Association to create a new Manufacturing Engagement and Retention Study.

According to the study, available here, the main reasons that employees remain at a company are enjoyment of the work (83 percent) and stability/job security (79 percent). Other contributors to satisfaction include the family friendliness of the employer and the way the job fits into their lifestyles outside of work.

Younger workers have slightly different motives, however. Forty-two percent of all workers identified training and career opportunities as reasons for staying while approximately two-thirds of those under age 25 said these were motivating factors in their decision to remain with their current employer.

Additionally, employees who felt valued by their companies had significantly more motivation and job satisfaction. Nearly all workers who said they felt valued by their employers (97 percent) described themselves as highly motivated and satisfied with their job. Nearly as many (96 percent) would recommend their company to others as a good place to work. Employees who did not feel valued by their employers, those numbers dropped to 45 percent and 25 percent, respectively.