They\u2019re high on life. America\u2019s most cheerful hourly employees aren\u2019t sitting behind a computer, it seems \u2014 they\u2019re at the counter selling vapes, weed and smokes, according to a new report from workplace management platform Deputy.
\nOver 1.51 million end-of-shift survey responses paint a less-than-ideal picture of the state of the union for wage workers.<\/p>\n
The happiest hourly employees in the US are selling vapes, weed and smokes, according to a new report from workplace management platform Deputy. REUTERS<\/span> They\u2019re closely followed by caterers, baristas, dentists and those who work in gyms, firearms stores and sit-down restaurants. It\u2019s an upset to the status quo that proves once again that money can\u2019t buy happiness. Notably, breaking the scores down by state reveals stark disparities \u2014 a gulf in America, if you will. The report from Deputy highlights the complexities of shift workers’ happiness, emphasizing the importance of factors beyond monetary compensation. As the job market continues to evolve, understanding these dynamics will be crucial for employers seeking to improve employee satisfaction and retention.<\/p>\n Q: Which industry sector has the happiest employees according to the report? Introduction to Shift Workers’ Happiness They\u2019re high on life. America\u2019s most cheerful hourly employees aren\u2019t sitting behind a computer, it seems \u2014 they\u2019re at the counter selling vapes, weed and smokes, according to a new report from workplace management platform Deputy. Over 1.51 million end-of-shift survey responses paint a less-than-ideal picture of the state of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":19886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-19885","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2025\/07\/view-shows-cannabis-shop-sukhumvit-107128989.jpg?quality=75&strip=all&w=1024&w=1024&resize=1024,682&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19885"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19885"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19885\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19887,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19885\/revisions\/19887"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/19886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19885"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19885"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19885"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nWhile the Net Happiness Score \u2014 the report\u2019s metric for general workplace wellbeing \u2014 clocked in fairly high at 71.86%, it still took a tumble from 73% in 2024.
\nThe happiest industry sector turned out to be e-cigarette and marijuana stores, with 91.87% of employees saying they feel \u201cgood\u201d or \u201camazing\u201d about their jobs.<\/p>\nComparison with Other Sectors<\/h2>\n
\nMeanwhile, the unhappiest industry sector title went \u2014 surprisingly \u2014 to pharmacies, which only landed a 13.94% rating.
\nNext were people who work in postal services, animal health, doctors\u2019 offices and other types of healthcare workers.
\nSome of the unhappiest industry sectors were in healthcare. SneakyPeakPoints\/peopleimages.com \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\nAnalysis of the Findings<\/h2>\n
\nThe report notes that the findings reflect \u201cthe ongoing strain on healthcare workers, who continue to shoulder high emotional and physical workloads in a post-pandemic environment marked by staffing shortages, unpredictable hours and regulatory pressure.\u201d
\nThe results also suggest that \u201cimprovements in flexibility, wage transparency and shift consistency may be helping\u201d employers to \u201cboost morale\u201d in spite of \u201cthe well-documented challenges of retail \u2014 such as long hours and customer-facing stress.\u201d
\nAll of which suggests that workplace camaraderie, clear goals and expectations and a sense of purpose can ultimately matter more when it comes to satisfaction than pay or prestige.<\/p>\nState-by-State Satisfaction Trends<\/h2>\n
\nSouth Carolina, Virginia and Utah are performing well above the national satisfaction trend, thanks in part to strong investments in scheduling flexibility and supportive workplace cultures.
\nConversely, North Dakota, New Mexico and Vermont scored much lower, due to economic pressure, understaffing and frustrations of feeling unheard and burnt out.<\/p>\nConclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\nA: The happiest industry sector is e-cigarette and marijuana stores, with 91.87% of employees feeling \u201cgood\u201d or \u201camazing\u201d about their jobs.
\nQ: What are some factors contributing to the unhappiness in healthcare workers?
\nA: The ongoing strain of high emotional and physical workloads, staffing shortages, unpredictable hours, and regulatory pressure contribute to the unhappiness among healthcare workers.
\nQ: How do state-by-state satisfaction trends vary?
\nA: States like South Carolina, Virginia, and Utah perform well above the national satisfaction trend due to investments in scheduling flexibility and supportive workplace cultures, while states like North Dakota, New Mexico, and Vermont score lower due to economic pressure and understaffing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"