Job Satisfaction Determinants of Tertiary Graduates in Europe

Factors affecting the job satisfaction of tertiary graduates are studied using recent data on 13 European countries from 2010–11. Special attention is given to differences between bachelors and masters. It is found that in many countries, master's degree decreases job satisfaction. Moreover, it never increases the job satisfaction of female employees. Masters are more sensitive than bachelors to career opportunities, variety in work and whether learning is required in the job; while bachelors are more sensitive to the risk of moving to a less interesting job and monetary compensation. Overeducation generally does not affect the job satisfaction of bachelors, but strongly decreases that of masters. The results also show that the most important groups of job-related factors influencing job satisfaction, in the order of importance, are (1) content, (2) risks and (3) compensation. Support activities (help from co-workers and ability to manage own working time) are also important for job satisfaction, as they allow to mitigate stressful situations.