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The Secret to a Happy Life is More Love Than Career
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At the heart of the matter, love outranks a successful career, according to a recent survey conducted just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Notwithstanding the U.S. economy and labor market, three out of four Americans still say that in order to achieve a happy life, a successful relationship with a significant other is more important than a successful career, a sentiment men and women echo equally.
Yet, the telephone survey of 1,000 U.S. adults commissioned by hourly job Web site SnagAJob.com also found that among those who are black, unmarried, ages 18-34 or living in the Northeast, the pendulum shifts a bit more towards desiring a successful career.
Meanwhile, two thirds of Americans say that they have either sacrificed their own career for the benefit of a significant other’s or would be willing to do so. And among married people – those who have already made a long-term pledge to the one they love – three quarters say that they have or would be willing to put a significant other’s career first.
“Granted, the workday is more fulfilling if you are able to enjoy what you do,” said Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com. “But, as the survey points out, relationships with significant others, friends and family are more likely the things we will look back on as vital for a happy life. It’s not often easy to balance both a successful career and personal life, but the lucky ones are people who manage to find happiness in both areas. It’s a goal worth striving for all the time.”
And as men and women evaluate love this Valentine’s Day, their thoughts on balancing love and careers are remarkably the same: 76 percent of men and 75 percent of women say that a successful relationship is more important than a successful career for a happy life. And when asked about putting their own career behind that of a significant other, 62 percent of men have or would be willing to do so, which is nearly in agreement with the 69 percent of women who responded the same way.
Overall, 20 percent of Americans say that a successful career bears more weight than a successful relationship as far as achieving a happy life. Not exactly true, say the following groups who disagree with the general population and other demographic sub-groups:
* 42 percent of blacks chose a successful career, as compared to 14 percent of whites
* 34 percent of unmarried people chose a successful career versus 11 percent within the married population
* 27 percent of those ages 18-34 value a successful career above a relationship, a statistic that drops to 17 percent for those ages 35-54
* And by region of the country, those in the Northeast (27%) value a career more so than those living in the West (17%)
There are a few groups that are decidedly more in favor of a successful relationship contributing the most to a happy life:
* 85 percent of those with a household income of $50K or more say that a successful relationship with a significant other is more important than a successful career, a statistic that drops to 67 percent among those with a household income of $25K or less.
* Among those with a college degree, 88 percent say a successful relationship is more important than a successful career. In contrast, 69 percent of those who have completed high school or less rank a successful relationship above a successful career.
Since 75 percent of Americans say that a successful relationship is a bigger contributor toward a happy life, it follows that a majority of those polled – 66 percent – also show a willingness to put a significant other’s career ahead of their own. That said, 51 percent of those with a willingness to put another’s career first say doing so would indeed be a sacrifice, albeit something they consider worthwhile because being with a significant other makes them a team.
From a practical standpoint, who earns more money does seem to play into whether or not someone is willing to sacrifice their career for that of their significant other’s – 17 percent say that they would not or have not put another’s career ahead of their own because they consider themselves a breadwinner. And another 7 percent are not interested in putting another’s career first because their own career is too important to them.
Whether or not they’ve actually walked down the aisle does portend the level of compromise Americans are willing to make for a significant other’s career. While 75 percent of married Americans are willing to put their spouse’s career ahead of their own or have sacrificed their own career in the past, just 43 percent of unmarried Americans have – or would be willing to – put their career second. Among unmarried Americans, 13 percent say that their career is too important to them, a percentage that drops to a mere 3 percent among married people.
Methodology:
These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted Jan. 15-19, 2009. For the survey, a nationally representative sample of 1,000 Americans was interviewed by telephone via Ipsos’ U.S. Telephone Express omnibus. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within ± 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of adults in the U.S. been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/gender composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.
SnagAJob.com, America’s largest hourly job Web site, has helped connect hourly workers with quality full-time and part-time jobs in a wide range of industries since 2000. Headquartered in Richmond, Va., SnagAJob.com also provides both job seekers and employers with valued insights and a cutting-edge interface that are unique to hourly employment. That, combined with more than 135 million annual searches, 13 million registered job seekers and 100,000 active job postings, makes SnagAJob.com exceptionally qualified to share the experiences of the hourly workforce with the rest of the country. Current clients include DISH Network®, Verizon Wireless®, FedEx®, Boston Market®, Chick-fil-A®, Bed Bath & Beyond®, Michaels® and Jiffy Lube®. Learn more about the No. 1 source for hourly employment at SnagAJob.com.