Hospitality, retail employees are 'happiest' in survey of shift workers
Shift workers in hospitality and retail roles lead the pack when it comes to satisfaction with their jobs.
That’s according to a new report from shift management platform Deputy, which revealed that roughly eight-in-10 (79%) shift workers report feeling happy at work, a slight increase over last year despite continued economic uncertainty, inflation and cost of living pressures. Unhappiness sentiment fell from 6.62% to 5.90%, its lowest level in the dataset.
Across the four parent industries surveyed by Deputy, hospitality and retail lead in happiness, while healthcare sits clearly at the bottom. Hospitality (82.98%) had the highest rate of happiness, as frontline engagement within hotels, cafes, restaurants and entertainment establishments prioritizing employee retention, according to Deputy.
Retail (82.62%) was not far behind. The report noted that sustained morale in the sector is aided by advances in shift consistency, wage transparency and flexibility, even as workers navigate the typical stressors of customer-facing roles.
[READ MORE: Study: Frontline workers say customer aggression on the rise]
Services (77.61%) occupied the mid-tier, while healthcare (72.89%) remains the lowest-ranked parent industry for the second year in a row. Deputy noted that ongoing challenges such as staffing deficits, inconsistent scheduling and regulatory demands continue to impact morale within the healthcare sector.
“Sentiment is more than a measure of how people feel today. It is often an early indicator of tomorrow’s performance, retention and organizational health,” said Silvija Martincevic, CEO of Deputy. “In a competitive talent market, the organizations that win are the ones that stay closely connected to the frontline experience and act on what they learn. We hope these insights help leaders identify where progress is being made, where gaps remain, and how to build workplaces where shift workers can do their best work and thrive.”
Deputy’s report also shed light on the subcategories that had the happiest shift workers. Gambling (100%) topped the list with a perfect happiness ranking, followed by firearms stores (89.53%) and cafes & coffee shops (89.5%).
Accommodation (84.09%), adult services (82.76%), and sit-down restaurants (81.79%) round out the upper tier, alongside strong showings from medical clinics and fast food. Deputy said the “common thread” for these fields is autonomy, predictability and a sense of control over the workday.
Tobacco, e-cigarette & marijuana stores (13.34%) record the highest negativity of any sub-sector, driven overwhelmingly by frustration (10.06%) rather than acute stress. Animal health (13.07%) and care facilities (11.55%) follow, with strain skewed toward stress due to heavy emotional weight and physical demands, often with limited recovery time.
By age cohort, Gen Alpha (88.88%), the newcomers to the hourly economy, were reported as being the happiest, according to the report. For these workers, the start of a professional career often introduces a newfound feeling of independence, along with social opportunities.
In the middle of the happiness spectrum are Gen Z (78.42%) and baby boomers (77.50%). These groups represent opposite ends of the career journey, one characterized by the optimism of youth and the other by a more stable, seasoned perspective, noted Deputy. Gen X (75.92%) and millennials (74.52%) report the lowest positivity, as the groups frequently balance shift work with family, caregiving and financial commitments.
The 2026 Shift Pulse Report is based on an analysis of 731,805 responses submitted by shift workers across the United States and North America between May 1, 2025 and April 30, 2026.
