Some 49 per cent of respondents in a job satisfaction survey said they were happy with their current salary, while only 13 per cent said they were not.

A majority of employees gave job satisfaction more importance than earning the highest possible salary, according to the poll by Zurich's Federal Institute of Technology.

The authors of the annual HR Barometer say work conditions such as flexible hours, responsibility and decision-making power are what matter most to workers.

The study also found that a significant proportion of workers - one third – place little or no importance on career ambitions.

Although most respondents said they were happy with their job, career, and work-life balance, one third are considering changing jobs.

The study is based on interviews with 1,370 people in the German- and French-speaking regions of the country.

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