• by Masha Geller , July 29, 2003

Here's something we in the media business can definitely relate to. Monster.com today released the results of a recent poll that shows just how overworked we are.

With the U.S. economy slow to recover, Monster says, many workers find themselves facing larger workloads, rising unemployment and a dwindling pool of co-workers. Past and present company downsizing has added responsibilities to the average employee, resulting in an overworked and stressed American workforce.

According to Monster's 2003 Work/Life Balance survey, 80% of Americans are unhappy with their work/life balance and 71% admit to clocking more than 40 hours per week. Americans are not the only workers with long hours. 57% of European Monster Meter respondents put in more than 40 hours per week; however, U.S. workers are known around the globe for working long hours and many acknowledge the trend: 57% of Monster users consider themselves overworked.

"It's no surprise that workers are putting in longer hours than they'd like, perhaps making up for company downsizing in the midst of an economy that is slow to recover," said Jeff Taylor, Founder and Chief Monster. "However, today's worker should seek ways to create work/life harmony - it's the right balance to keep you happy in your job and your life."

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on 36,128 votes cast by Monster users from June 16th to June 23rd, 2003 on the Monster homepage.