Americans satisfied with jobs, but have lowered expectations

More than half of U.S. employees now say they are satisfied with their jobs, but fewer Americans feel confident in attaining a secure retirement, The Wall Street Journal reports. 

Nearly 51 percent of U.S. employees are at least somewhat satisfied with their jobs, according to a November 2016 survey of over 1,600 U.S. workers, but Americans are increasingly doubtful of attaining a comfortable retirement, according to The Conference Board, a business research group.

Only 60 percent of those polled feel confident in their ability to attain comfortable retirement, compared to 73 percent of American workers surveyed in 1993, The Employee Benefits Research Institute said. 

{mosads}The U.S. economy marked 3 percent growth in its second quarter, with record-high closings in the stock market throughout the summer. Congress is currently debating plans to pass comprehensive tax reform, which may further affect economic growth. 

Hourly wages have risen by 2.5 percent from July 2016 to July 2017, and 52 percent of workers polled said they do not fear layoffs. Satisfaction with wages has also risen from 36.1 percent to 41.6 percent over the last five years, the Conference Board claims. 

The U.S. economy added 156,000 jobs in August, slightly below economists’ predictions for the otherwise steady economy, while the country’s unemployment went up slightly, from 4.3 to 4.4 percent, in August.