Report Shows Decline in Workplace Injuries, Increase in Costs

A recent survey from The Conference Board finds the number of workers who say they are satisfied with their job is the highest it has been in the 38-year history of the survey. Workers reported higher satisfaction across 26 of 27 categories, declining only in quality of equipment. Sentiment also improved across five additional engagement factors — intent to stay, level of effort, sense of belonging, engagement, and mental health.

The survey also revealed a gap in satisfaction levels between older and younger workers, with 57.4% of U.S. workers under age 25 reporting being satisfied with their jobs. That compares to 72.4% of those aged 55 and older.

The Conference Board Job Satisfaction survey has been conducted since 1987. The 2025 edition is based on data collected through the Consumer Confidence Survey, with responses from 1,700 employed U.S. workers.

Insights in the 2025 survey include:

• Job satisfaction spiked by 5.7 percentage points — the largest single-year jump in the survey’s history.
• Economic strength — low unemployment, stable compensation growth — likely buoyed worker morale while workplace innovations like clear performance feedback, hybrid flexibility, and transparent career paths contributed to rising satisfaction.
• Women still trail men across 21 of 27 job satisfaction metrics — particularly those tied to compensation, like pay, bonuses and retirement benefits.
• Job turnover slowed in 2024, but satisfaction among recent job switchers slightly outpaced that of job stayers (70.5% vs. 69.6%).
• Workers moving into new roles cited culture and growth opportunities — not compensation — as primary drivers for change.

Information on downloading the survey is available here.

A recent J.D. Power survey shows a growing gap between high- and low-performing commercial health plans in the United States. The best performers — regional, Blue Cross Blue Shield, and provider-sponsored plans — are getting better, while the worst performers — the large national carriers — are getting worse.

The survey found satisfaction varies widely across plans and regions: The national average satisfaction score for commercial health plans is 563 (on a 1,000-point scale). In Texas, Baylor Scott & White Health Plan received a score of 629 to be the top choice in the state.

Other key findings include:

• Some 20% of employers cite low employee satisfaction as a top reason for switching health plans.
• Members who understand their out-of-pocket costs and out-of-network coverage have higher satisfaction and fewer issues such as denials and inaccessible care. Conversely, among members who say they do not completely understand their out-of-network benefits, 48% had a claim denied and 56% said their choice of network doctor was not available.
• Many high-impact digital tools remain underutilized: Tools such as chronic condition management programs, provider communication features, and remote monitoring platforms deliver strong satisfaction gains but are underused.
• The average deductible paid by commercial health plan members working for small employers is $2,847, 8% more than those working for midsized employers ($2,630) and 10% more than those working for large employers ($2,563). More than half (51%) of small-business employees met their deductibles, compared with 52% of midsize business employees and 53% of large-business employees.

The study measures member satisfaction with commercial member health plans in 22 geographic regions. The Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (648) had the highest-ranking score nationwide for the 18th consecutive year.

This year’s study is based on responses from 39,797 commercial health plan members and was fielded from September 2024 through March 2025.

For more information about the study, please visit this link.