MOSCOW, February 2, 2009. Russian Public Opinion Research Center (VCIOM) presents a rating of satisfaction of Russians with their profession.

In 2008 VCIOM conducted the survey on whether employees are satisfied with their profession. Working respondents were interviewed twice - in July-August (sample size - 4194) and in November-December (sample size - 4061). The respondents were offered a choice out of four types of answers: "completely satisfied", "likely satisfied", "likely dissatisfied" and "completely dissatisfied". The rating of satisfaction was created based on the outcome of the survey. The top of the rating is held by those who are mostly completely or partly satisfied; those who are likely or completely dissatisfied are at the bottom of the list. The rating is designed as a +100 to -100 ladder scale, with +100 as the maximum level of satisfaction (i.e. all those respondents who are completely satisfied with their profession), and -100 as the minimum level of satisfaction (i.e. all respondents of a certain profession who told that they were totally dissatisfied with it).  The comparison analysis between those two surveys helps to explain how attitudes of Russians towards their profession have changed since the onset of financial and economic crisis.

Lawyers and attorneys (80), financiers (75), computer programmers and IT-specialists (74), hairdressers (72,2) lead the December rating of satisfaction with profession. Armed forces personnel, radio engineers and firefighters scored 70 each. Militiamen (policemen) (68.4), economists (66.1), bank clerks (64.3), welders (63.8), directors (63.1) hold lower positions. Those who estimate their profession between 60 and 50 points are trade workers, instructors (coaches), veterinarians (58.3 each), entrepreneurs (58.1), lecturers (56.3), accountants (54.3), tailors (54.2), auto repairmen (53.3), drivers (51.6), engineers (51.5), teachers (50.4), managers (50,3), agronomists and electric welders (50). Those who provided average satisfaction level are those who are employed as mechanics (49), medical workers (47), millwrights (45), industrial workers (44.4), bricklayers (43.8), electricians (43.7), crane drivers and cooks (42.3 for each). Such professions as building superintendents (38.9), carpenters (37.5), social workers (36.9), operators (35.3), painter-plasterers and machinists (34.8) scored less than 40.  They are followed by commodity researchers (34.6) and power engineers (34.2), turners (33.7), real estate agents and inspectors (33.3 for each), builders (32.5), plumbers (31.8) and educators (30.4). Then are positions with lower rate of satisfaction with own profession, such as quality controllers (28. 4), sellers and cashiers (26.7), secretaries (26.3), technicians (24.2), administrators (24.1), storekeepers (23.4), agricultural workers (20.5) and metal workers (20.4). Those who got less than 20 points are joiners (19.6), workers (15.6), security guards (11.6), and librarians (4.5). Six professions that were negatively assessed are at the bottom of the list: postmen (-2. 8), barmen and waiters (-12.5), loaders (-14.3), yard-keepers and janitors (-29.9).

In December the hierarchy of the best professions changed compared with August: satisfaction with particular professions increased or, on the contrary, decreased. The satisfaction with the following professions has increased more than twice: plumbers (from -3.6 to 31.8), radio engineers (from 16.7 to 70), tailors (from 25 to 54.2), millwrights (from 20.6 to 45), and bricklayers (from 14.3 to 43.8). The increase of the level of satisfaction is typical as well for quality controllers (from 11.5 to 28.4), sellers and cashiers (from 11.5 to 26.7), agricultural workers (from 13.2 to 20.5), workers (from 2.6 to 15.6), lawyers and attorneys (from 62.3 to 80), computer programmers and IT-specialists (from 68.2 to 74), armed forces personnel (from 53.9 to 70), firefighters (from 43.8 to 70), militiamen/policemen (from 47.3 to 68.4), economists (from 61. 7 to 66.1), welders (from 35.8 to 63.8), trade workers (from 47.8 to 58,3), veterinarians (from 30.6 to 58.3), entrepreneurs (from 41.7 to 58.1), accountants (from 50 to 54.3), auto repairmen (from 41.1 to 53.3), drivers (from 40.7 to 51.6), electric welders (from 39.3 to 50), medical workers (from 39.4 to 47), industrial workers (from 36.5 to 44.4), cooks and bakers (from 32.4 to 42.3), carpenters (from 20.8 to 37.5), social workers (from 32.9 to 36.9), painter-plasterers (from 30.2 to 34.8), machinists (from 30.4 to 34.8), turners (from 29.7 to 33.7), secretaries (from 22 to 26.3), storekeepers (from 14 to 23.4). Those who demonstrated less dissatisfaction are barmen and waiters (from -33.3 to -12.5), loaders (from -25 to -14.3).

On the contrary, the survey revealed the decreased level of satisfaction among energy sector engineers (from 70 to 34.2), librarians (from 55 to 4.5), joiners (from 50 to 19.6), real estate agents (from 52.9 to 33.3), administrators (from 37.5 to 24.1), technicians (from 35 to 24.2), agronomists (from 62.5 to 50), bank clerks (from 68.2 to 64.3), commodity researchers (from 40 to 34.6), operators (from 40.6 to 35.3), crane drivers (from 60 to 42.3), electricians (from 48.2 to 43.7), postmen (from 0 to -2,8), yard-keepers and janitors (from -23,.5 to - 29.9).

As for the sectors of economy, the most satisfied with the profession workers can be found in business, finance, law and management sphere (financiers, lawyers,  entrepreneurs, economists and others) - the average satisfaction points made up 56.5. The second position is held by transport, communication, information technologies sphere (computer programmers, drivers, radio engineers and others) - they scored average 49.8. The third position is taken by science, education, culture, health scare sphere (teachers, librarians, medical workers and others) - 44.3. They are followed by security sector - armed forces personnel, militiamen/policemen, security guards (33.3), industry, building and repair sphere - builders, millwrights, industrial workers and others (31.2). The least satisfied are those who work in agricultural sector - agronomists, agricultural workers (23.4) and service industry - hairdressers, trade workers and others (22.1).

On the whole we can see the decreased level of satisfaction among those who work in business, finance, law and management(from 52.7 to 56.5), transport, communication and information technologies (from 43.8 to 49.8), security (from 25.1 to 33.3), service industry (from 15.5 to 22.1), agriculture (from 15.8 to 23.4). This rise is likely to be caused by the increased value of work itself on the background of the unemployment growth and economic crisis.

The initiative Russian opinion poll was conducted in July-August and November-December 2008-2009. 4194 and 4061 respondents respectively were interviewed at 140 sampling points in 42 regions of Russia.

The margin of error does not exceed 3.4%.

Note: Using materials from the site www.wciom.ru or distributed by VCIOM,  reference to the source (or hyperlink for the electronic media) is obligatory!