Job dissatisfaction 'threat to economic recovery'

New Zealanders' level of engagement in their jobs has plummeted over the past three years, according to a new survey.

And those who are least engaged are people who work in hospitality, public servants and retail workers.

The survey of almost 2000 New Zealanders, conducted by Right Management, found that just 36 per cent of employees felt engaged at work, down from 42 per cent in 2009.

For a worker to be deemed "engaged", the survey relied on a composite measure of satisfaction, commitment, pride, products and services advocacy, and employee advocacy.

The survey found that age and job tenure played a significant role in how engaged people felt in their jobs - workers in their 20s were the most engaged (40.7 per cent), while people aged 60 and over were the least engaged (28 per cent).

However, younger people had the highest intention to leave their jobs within a year, as well as those with no management or supervisory responsibilities. And the longer people stayed in their jobs, the less engaged they were likely to be.

Principal consultant at Right Management, Kari Scrimshaw, said the growing dissatisfaction was a serious problem for New Zealand organisations because it directly affected performance and "the bottom line".

"If this trend continues and dissatisfaction in the workplace increases further, it will be a handbrake on our economic recovery."

Ms Scrimshaw said the survey results were "a wake-up call" for New Zealand managers to pay attention to the needs of their employees.

"If you're not doing something to help your organisation to better manage your employees' careers, you are setting yourself up for failure."