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Stuart Gentle Publisher at Onrec

Stress epidemic: The industries where Brits are most likely to experience workplace stress

With two-thirds of professionals revealing that their job is causing them to feel the strain

This Blue Monday, CV-Library, the UK’s leading independent job site, reveals that two-thirds of Brits are feeling the strain, with 67.7% stating that their job makes them feel stressed. What’s more, almost half (46.6%) said this impacts their private life, with 71.8% experiencing low mood even after they leave work.  

The survey of 1,100 workers sought to discover the top causes behind workplace stress and which industries were most affected. Below, CV-Library reveals the sectors where Brits are most likely to suffer from stress, with the top 10 outpacing the nation average of 67.7%. The full list includes:

  • Social Care – 86.4%
  • Recruitment – 81.8%
  • Sales – 79.2%
  • Accounting – 76.7%
  • Construction – 76%
  • Marketing – 73.7%
  • IT – 70%
  • Legal – 70%
  • Design – 69.2%
  • Manufacturing – 68.6% 

Lee Biggins, founder and CEO of CV-Library, comments: “While it’s concerning to learn that such a large percentage of the population are suffering from workplace stress, in many of these key industries that comes as little surprise. These are all high-pressure roles, particularly those in the care sector and others such as recruitment, sales and construction, which require tight deadlines and aggressive targets. These factors often add to the stress of the job; especially as we start a new year.” 

Respondents were also asked to identify the top causes of their stress, with the number one problem being increasing workloads (54.8%). This was followed by their manager (40.1%), tight deadlines (34.1%), making a mistake (30.5%) and customers/clients (25.9%).

Biggins concludes: “Stress and mental health has become a hot topic of late, with businesses and professionals alike focussing on mental wellbeing at work. Despite this, it’s clear from these findings that more needs to be done to help eliminate stress and support increasingly busy professionals.

“As an employer, you are there to support those who are struggling at work and you certainly shouldn’t become part of the problem. Keep an eye out for employees who look overwhelmed, fatigued or are struggling to keep on top of their workload. This could be a sign that they’re suffering from stress. As such, you need to put measures in place to help alleviate some of the pressure.”