Eleven percent of the respondents enjoy their job less than a quarter of the time. In today's excellent job market for engineers, we find it startling that so many unhappy people remain in jobs they don't like. Given that the overall employment picture for engineers looks bright, we wondered where our respondents see themselves in five years. Perhaps they would launch a new business or go into consulting. Table 5 lists the aspirations of these people.
Most people plan on staying where they are or moving up to a better job with their present employer.
Our data showed little correlation between these aspirations and salary levels. The people at the high end of the salary range gave just about the same answers as those at the low end. Most employees don't have complete control over their future, so we wanted to know what single most important reason might compel them to leave their present job. A significant number of people plan to retire, but overall, people want more challenges in their work or they want opportunities for advancement. Here in the northeast, The Boston Globe provides a reasonable gauge of the employment picture for engineers.