The Most Unmotivated Employees in the US [2024 Survey]

Holger Sindbaek -

We recently conducted a survey of 3,000 employees to determine which are the most unmotivating jobs in America. we understand the importance of taking breaks and finding ways to unwind during a long workday, especially for those in roles that can feel monotonous or mentally draining. Whether it’s a quick game of Solitaire, Spider Solitaire, or Freecell, small mental breaks can make a big difference in staying focused and refreshed.

Given this, we wanted to explore which jobs workers find the least motivating and how factors like repetitiveness or lack of creativity impact overall job satisfaction. The interesting results are below.

The interesting results are below

Key findings:

The least motivating jobs were found to be:

  • Call center representatives
  • Bookkeepers
  • Claims Adjusters and Processors

Also in the top 10 were Bank Tellers and Finance Customer Service Representatives, Telemarketers, Language Translators, Administrative Assistants, Fast Food and Service Industry Workers, Data Entry Clerks, and HR Assistants.

​​Many of these jobs are described as monotonous, lacking in creativity, or requiring sitting or standing for a long time in the same place. These factors largely contribute to their demotivating nature.

Jobs also fall into these categories that deal with a lot of calculations, numbers, sorting and organizing data, managing files, inputting information, scheduling.

The two most potentially striking jobs on the list are language translators and Fast Food and Service Industry Workers. Both associated with strong human interaction, technology seems to be ready to take over most - or at least some -of their tasks.

Implications of the study:

A shifting landscape of employment

Industries like finance, customer service, and sales are undergoing shifts in dynamics as AI-driven automation replaces traditional human roles, potentially altering the landscape of employment within these sectors.

Even jobs which involve human interaction - like administrative assistant or HR assistant - are susceptible to the impact of AI, with automation threatening to reshape or diminish the need for these positions.

Workforce motivation concerns

Workers in jobs that are potentially threatened by AI are likely to be less motivated. This could also affect the workforce in general, as well as the overall mood around work.

Skill Adaptation Needs

As AI is reshaping the job landscape, many of the jobs considered more monotonous or less motivating are likely to be taken over by AI. This presents a lingering threat and causes a lot of anxiety for those working in these jobs.

AI-driven systems promise efficiency and precision, potentially rendering human labor redundant in sectors such as customer service, finance, and data entry.

In several of the listed at-risk job roles, even if people can keep their positions, they will likely have to adapt significantly to the new standards dictated by AI so they can remain relevant in the changing labor market.