Work happiness in the Netherlands under pressure? New figures from work happiness test show striking decline

Work Happiness Test Reveals New Insights

The Work Happiness Test, started as a tool that gives workers insight and tips on how to increase work happiness, has yielded valuable data due to the large number of participants. Based on this data, Driessen Groep in 2024 for the first time analyzed developments in job happiness over the past six years.

An important question in the test is, "How happy are you with your work and working conditions? The result is troubling. Whereas participants scored this question an average of 6.9 in 2018, this has dropped to a paltry 5.3 in 2024. Jeroen Driessen, CEO of HR company Driessen Groep: "It is shocking that happiness at work scores such a low figure on average."

New insight or deviation?

The figures differ significantly from other national surveys on happiness at work, such as those conducted by research firm Newcom. Prof. Dr. Martijn Burger, academic director of the Erasmus Happiness Economics Research Organization (EHERO), therefore calls the findings striking.

He has not seen similar declines in job happiness in the Netherlands in previous studies. According to him, the decline could be related to an increase in perceived workload and uncertainties in the labor market.

Another possible explanation for the decline lies in a different composition of respondents who completed this year's Work Happiness Test. "We face the challenge of understanding whether there really is a broader downward trend in job happiness," Burger said. "For that, additional research among the respondent group is necessary."

Call to employers: work happiness as a priority

In any case, Jeroen Driessen said the figures provide cause for self-reflection for employers in the Netherlands. "The loss of work happiness can point to broader problems, such as high work pressure or a mismatch between personal values and the work environment. Employers must act proactively and create a safe, supportive work culture that promotes work happiness. It is important to put job happiness at the top of the agenda and take concrete steps to improve employee job happiness. Employees also have a responsibility, but it is up to employers to take a role in creating the right conditions."

Work happiness requires further deepening

Driessen Groep sees this discovery as a clear signal that requires deepening. Jeroen Driessen: "It is important to find out exactly what is going on so that we can work together with employers and employees in a focused way to increase job happiness in the Netherlands. Driessen Groep is committed to this mission with conviction."

Update: September 22, 2025

Work happiness among the younger generation

A further analysis among the respondent group of the Work Happiness Test shows that the decline in the work happiness figure between 2023 and 2024 is explained by a change in age distribution of respondents who completed the Work Happiness Test. In 2024, the proportion of Work Happiness Test participants in Gen Y and Gen Z categories increased. The data shows that over time, this "younger generation" is on average less positive about their work happiness than the "older generation. The increase in this respondent group relative to the total respondent count pulled down the average job happiness figure significantly in 2024.

In any case, the data shows a difference in the extent to which "young people" versus "older people" experience job happiness. This also confirms research by Newcom in March 2025: "Especially among younger generations such as Gen Z'ers, we see critical noises. On average, they are less satisfied with their job happiness." Future studies should reveal how work happiness develops among the younger generation. For now, work happiness among the younger generation seems to be a topic for HR and employers to seriously consider.

The Work Happiness Test was released by Driessen Groep in 2018. Since then, data has been collected that was analyzed in the summer of 2024. This survey is based on the responses of 33,702 participants. 75% of the participants are women and 25% are men. It involves scores from different individuals over time, not the same individuals over time. The Work Happiness Test is distributed by employment agency Driessen and knowledge platform work&happiness.