Jobs more "satisfying" in public sector

Eight in 10 public sector workers find their jobs rewarding compared with only six in 10 of their private sector counterparts, according to a recent study.

And the poll of almost 2,000 working-age adults found 20% of private sector workers saying they had unrewarding jobs compared with only 11.5% in the public sector.

The study, which was commissioned by the public sector website Inside Public and carried out by the YouGov polling agency, highlighted why public sector workers are happier - overtime. Only one sixth (16%) said they had to work overtime during an average week, compared to 23% of private sector workers.

They survey also revealed that those with the most job satisfaction work for charities or voluntary organisations, with 95% of respondents in this sector saying they found their job somewhat or very rewarding.

Sean Kemp, editor of Inside Public, said the survey's results went against conventional views of working in the public sector.

He said: "The public sector has an unfair reputation for bureaucratic and unfulfilling jobs, but this study turns those stereotypes on their head and proves that working in the public sector can provide a very rewarding and satisfying career."

And Kemp added that: "Benefits such as flexitime, homeworking and crèche facilities are a reality for many public sector workers and just go to show how modern an employer public bodies have become."