But despite all the challenges that female employees face, it is apparently men who are less satisfied with their jobs. A new study has found that men in so-called “middle” jobs fare worse than women in the same position.
“We found that men stuck in mediocre jobs are the most unhappy and that career mobility is key to these men’s life satisfaction,” said Professor Yannis Georgellis, who led the research at the SP Jain London School of Management.
His findings suggest that traditional gender roles have a lasting influence – men are less likely to think of themselves as average professional people than women. The researchers emphasize that this applies only to men in middle-status positions, which they say include store managers, prison officers or accountants, and not to men in low- or high-status positions.
They believe this is a manifestation of the “silver medalist” effect, where silver medalists are most dissatisfied when comparing themselves to gold medalists, while bronze medalists consider the alternative of receiving no medal at all.
It’s not clear why this bothers men more than women, but one suspects it has a lot to do with differences in expectations. Economists have argued in the past that women are socialized to feel more grateful for what they have.
The silver medalist effect probably doesn’t have much meaning for women who can only see men in the game. Men, on the other hand, are surrounded by role models with whom they can compare themselves.
Many probably still feel societal pressure to be the breadwinner and their self-esteem is closely tied to employment status, even though women are much more present in the workplace and men are much more present at home.
A study of 3,000 adults in the UK conducted by Starling Bank earlier this year found that 70 percent of men aged 18 to 24 believed that men should be the main breadwinner in a relationship. Only a fifth of women surveyed said men should be the primary breadwinner.
The reactions are surprising considering how much has changed in recent years: Men have done more care work during the pandemic than at any time in recent history.
Anecdotally, I know a number of fathers in the city who have given up all-consuming jobs since the birth of their children to spend more time with their families, although it is notable that they continue to be the breadwinners.
Traditional gender roles have been torn apart in some ways, but in others they have not changed at all. Even if no one wants to get stuck in a dead-end job, life satisfaction still seems to be more dependent on job status for men than for women.
Anyone who is fed up with their job should give their colleagues a chance and do something different. The study of men in so-called “miserable middle” jobs suggests that slipping down the occupational status scale isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Some men may feel more comfortable spending more time with their children by finding a more flexible or less demanding job if they can afford it. Others may prefer to retrain and try a career that better suits their lifestyle.
The “mansion” never really came to fruition and never will. Men dominate the workplace and income disparities are not expected to change in the next few decades.
But a lot has changed when it comes to gender roles at home, and societal expectations need to keep pace. Assumptions about workplace dynamics are still stuck in the past, leaving some men feeling trapped in jobs they don’t like.
As work and home become more equal, men will have to do what women have done for decades and make some decisions. Women have always been reminded that it is impossible to “have it all.” Men are now starting to recognize this too.