• by August 3, 2004

Now here's a headline: Monster, the online job service, says that 61 percent of Americans consider themselves overworked and 86 percent aren't satisfied with their job.

Surprising? Not really. As the economy continues to improve and the presidential election draws closer, many people are looking to make a change. In fact, they are counting on making a change. There are positive signs of job growth in many sectors, including the interactive industry. Want a job in publishing? Better go the online route or to a multimedia outlet. That is where the growth is. Monster's Work/Life Balance Survey reported that 89 percent of Americans hope to change jobs within the next six months.

The Monster 2004 Work/Life Balance Survey reported that 82 percent of Americans are unhappy with their work/life balance, up from 80 percent in 2003. (Recall the finding from the Yahoo!/Starcom MediaVest Group study on the media habits of women, suggesting that a woman's total activities in one day added up to 38 hours of activity within a 24-hour day.) The Internet is both a blessing and a curse in this respect, allowing us to multitask for greater efficiency (on both the professional and personal fronts), while also extending our workday.

"Our survey indicates that company downsizing during the recent recession has certainly taken its toll on the average employee, resulting in an American workforce that is stressed and overburdened," said Steve Pogorzelski, president of Monster, North America, in a statement.

The results of the current Monster Meter are based on 14,451 votes cast by Monster users from June 14th to June 21st, 2004 on the career site's home page. Only one vote per user was counted toward the final tabulation.