THE JOB SATISFACTION OF WOMEN IN BRITAIN

In examining the relatively disadvantaged labour market position of women in Britain existing studies have overwhelmingly concentrated on the issues of pay and their occupational distribution in the workforce. The issue of job satisfaction has been scarcely touched upon. To illustrate, in Jain and Sloane's recent book on race and sex discrimination in the U.S.A., Canada, and Britain, which was published in 1981, there is only a single, one page reference to job satisfaction in their index The relative absence of such studies is particularly unfortunate given that job satisfaction is arguably the ultimate aim and hope that many people have with regard to employment. In making this statement we do, of course, acknowledge the potential importance of the distinction between satisfaction in a job and satisfaction with a job; the latter being essentially the perspective of instrumentally orientated workers who view a job as simply the means of obtaining satisfaction elswhere in their life.