The latest Happiness at Work Index from recruitment consultancy Badenoch & Clark, published today, reveals that only a third (36.5%) of UK workers are happy in their job. A quarter (24.2%) say they are ‘distinctly’ unhappy, while two-fifths (39.3%) of UK workers are merely ‘somewhat’ happy.

There are regional fluctuations in worker contentment, with spikes in the East and West Midlands, where a third (36.4%, 31.6% respectively) reported low levels of happiness.

Londoners, however, report above-average levels of happiness, with two-fifths (39.7%) saying they were either ‘very’ or ‘extremely’ happy in their job. Relatively higher levels of investment and job creation in London, due in part to the 2012 Olympic Games, could account for the rise in happiness in the capital, says the survey.

Nicola Linkleter, managing director of Badenoch & Clark, said: “Happiness at work is as high on the agenda as ever before. With work cited as a ‘top five’ concern for UK citizens, workplace morale must be addressed as a critical business issue.

“Organisations must now take action to create a working environment where employees are able to develop a sense that their work is both valuable and valued. Failure to do so may result in loss of talent, which in turn may lead to loss of potential revenue.”