Linking shifts in the national economy with changes in job satisfaction, employee engagement and work-life balance

This paper examines the extent to which job satisfaction, employee engagement, and satisfaction with work-life balance are influenced by changes in the macroeconomy. Data on employee attitudes are obtained from the Age and Generations dataset, a survey of more than 2000 employees from nine large organizations that took place just prior to and immediately following the onset of the 2007-2009 recession. We find that the state of the macroeconomy impacts job satisfaction, employee engagement, and satisfaction with work-life balance, suggesting that employees' job- and family-related attitudes are influenced by factors beyond the immediate job and family domains.