Shift workers report stronger job sentiment in Deputy survey
Deputy said 78.9% of shift workers felt positive after their shifts, while unhappy responses fell to a four-year low of 5.9%.
By David L. Chen · Senior Columnist
· 3 min read
Shift workers reported slightly stronger job sentiment over the past year, with 78.9% saying they felt positive at the end of their shifts, according to an annual survey released Tuesday by Deputy. The share reporting unhappiness fell to 5.9%, down from 6.6% a year earlier and the lowest level in the survey’s four-year history.
The results offer a counterpoint to broader measures of household unease. Surveys from the University of Michigan, the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Conference Board have pointed to worries about personal finances, job availability and employment security, according to the report.
Deputy, a global company that provides scheduling, human resources and related services to small businesses, framed the findings against a changing shift-work labor force. The company said Gen Z, defined as people born between 1997 and 2012, now represents the largest segment of the shift-based workforce covered by the survey.
“This result comes at a time of significant workforce change,” Deputy Chief Executive Silvija Martincevic said. “This shift matters because workers at different stages of life report very different experiences at work, making this generational transition an important part of the story behind this year’s results.”
Hospitality and retail lead major sectors
The survey asked workers how they felt at the end of a shift and grouped responses into categories including positive, unhappy and “okay.” That structure gives a reading on immediate workplace sentiment rather than a long-term measure of career satisfaction or wages.
Among four broad categories, hospitality had the highest positive response rate at 82.98%, according to Deputy. Retail followed closely at 82.62%. Healthcare ranked lowest among the four, with 72.89% positive responses, marking the second consecutive year it held that position in the survey even as the industry has been a leading source of U.S. job growth.
Gambling topped the subsector list with a 100% positive rating among respondents. Deputy attributed that result to a customer-facing work environment, tips and team-based structures. Other high-scoring subsectors included firearms stores at 89.53%, cafes and coffee shops at 89.50%, and accommodation at 84.09%.
Cafes and coffee shops recorded the highest share of “amazing” responses, at 72.64%. At the lower end of the positive rankings, fast food and cashier restaurants posted 80.30%, while in-home care registered 73.14%.
Negative responses were highest in tobacco, e-cigarette and marijuana stores, at 13.34%. Animal health followed at 13.07%, and care facilities recorded 11.55%.
Rhode Island and Alaska score highest
By state, Rhode Island recorded a 100% positive score, which Deputy linked to tight labor markets and strong hospitality and tourism industries. Alaska ranked second at 95.35%, and Hawaii placed third at 92.89%.
The highest negative readings came from Arkansas at 12.68%, New Hampshire at 12.31% and the District of Columbia at 11.11%, according to the survey.
Generationally, Alpha workers posted the highest positive response rate at 88.88%. Gen Z was second at 78.42%.
Deputy also noted a rise in neutral sentiment. The share of workers who described their feelings as “okay” increased to 15.2%, making it the fastest-growing response category. The survey said workplace morale is supported when companies focus on reliable scheduling, fair pay and recognition, while neglecting those areas can contribute to disengagement or employee departures.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.
