The new relationship between work and well-being

Since the 1980s, workers’ incomes have risen, hours worked have fallen, while job insecurity shows no clear trend. However, the indicator of well-being at work has been steadily declining in OECD countries. Economists have tried to explain this “paradox”. Some point to the combined role of pecuniary and non-pecuniary factors (performance pay has led to increased pressure and stress). Others focus on non-pecuniary factors (promotion prospects, job security, psychosocial risks, job content or interpersonal relations). The diffusion of new technologies may have modified the link between working conditions and well-being at work, especially following the pandemic with the diffusion of telecommuting. Understanding the factors that determine well-being at work is very important because it is closely correlated with both worker effort and intention to quit.