Job characteristics and life satisfaction in Europe: A domains-of-life approach

Recognition of the role of working life has come to permeate every domain of life. Characteristics once thought to affect only the job domain are becoming important determinants of how people assess their lives on a daily basis. In this article we explore the influence of job characteristics on satisfaction with several life domains in 28 EU countries, asking: 1) What is the relationship between job characteristics and satisfaction with the job and other domains of life? 2) Is the job domain more important for life satisfaction than other domains of life? Additionally, we consider whether there are differences in these relationships between high- and low-skilled workers. We examine these questions through a domains-of-life perspective, using data on white-collar workers from the third European Quality of Life Survey (3EQLS) and using multiple Ordinary Least Squares (OLS) regressions to estimate the models. The results indicate that work–life balance and perceived job (in)security are important determinants of satisfaction regarding all domains; moreover, there are differences between highand low-skilled workers concerning the influence of these factors. Job satisfaction ranks fourth in terms of its contribution to life satisfaction in the whole sample and is a greater determinant of life satisfaction for high-skilled workers than for low-skilled ones. We conclude with a discussion of the implications for workers’ wellbeing of the increasing insecurity in the job market and the fact that meaning is often sought through work despite the effects of poor work–life balance on most life-domains.