Midwives have been identified as facing the highest levels of stress in the UK job market, scoring 8.8 out of 10 on the stress index, according to new research.[1]
The study, by Go.Compare Life Insurance, collated data from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), factoring in average working hours, salary, and reported cases of work-related stress, anxiety, or depression (SAD) to determine the overall stress levels associated with various occupations.
In fact, stress, anxiety, and depression made up around half of all work-related ill health in 2023. This rate has been on the rise since the pandemic, with the current rate at 2,590 cases per 100,000 workers.[2]
Midwives have fairly high salaries (£40,040 on average), and their average work week of 35 hours is typical for a full-time worker. However, their salary is one of the lowest within the human health and social work sector. This, alongside the high rate of reported work-related SAD, means that they take the number one spot.
The top 10 list shows that workers in the human health and social work sector, such as counsellors, youth/community workers, and nurses tend to have the most stressful jobs. 3.5% of workers per every 100,000 in this sector reported work-related SAD.[3]
According to the 2021 Census, approximately four million Brits work in the health and social work sector. This means that 15% of British workers are working in high-stress occupations.[4] The average worker suffering from these conditions took 19.6 days off work last year, showing just how deeply work-related stress can take its toll on our everyday lives.[5]
The top 10 most stressful jobs:
RankJob titleScore1Midwife8.82Counsellor8.23Youth/community worker8.24Nurse7.65Fire service officer7.66Occupational therapist7.67Paramedic7.48Police officer7.49Teaching assistant7.410Receptionist7.2
Other sectors with a high percentage (over 3% per 100,000) of reported work-related SAD include public administration and public defence, with fire service and police officers making it to the top 10 list for the most stressful jobs.
Approximately 1.6 million Brits work in the public administration and public defence sector, meaning that 5.6 million UK workers are currently employed in some of the UK’s most stressful occupations.
Go.Compare reached out to the employee and mental health wellbeing provider Rightsteps to provide some insight into these findings.
Dave Lewis, Principal at Rightsteps, gave his opinion on why midwives have the most stressful job: “Midwives are very highly trained, but there is little control an individual can exert over the demands that might be placed on them during a shift. Midwives also deal with highly emotionally draining situations with extremely high levels of responsibility in an environment where there may be insufficient resources to meet the workload, all of which could easily result in high levels of work-related stress.”
When asked if Rightsteps had any advice for nurturing a healthier work-life balance, Dave said: “What will work for one person might be different to another – and their role. However, for everyone, speaking with your manager is really important so they can firstly understand what is causing your stress and work through anything they might be able to affect to alter this.
“We each need to understand what can help us to better manage stress in our personal lives, too. Are we getting exercise and managing our diet to ensure we’re as healthy as we can be? What is our sleep like – is there anything we can do to improve our sleep patterns? How are we ensuring we’ve got time to relax in our lives, in whatever way works for us? And how do we ensure that with all our responsibilities in work and life that there are fun and pleasurable things happening that can lift our spirits?”
Rhys Jones, life insurance expert for Go.Compare, said: “Our research highlights a stark reality – professions like midwifery, within the healthcare and social work sectors, not only face significant responsibilities during work hours, but the stress can take its toll on their day-to-day lives. It’s clear that those who spend their careers taking care of others should also find ways to take care of themselves.
“These findings are especially poignant considering the broader context of underfunding within the NHS and the challenges posed by the impact of the pandemic. The fallout has undoubtedly worsened stress levels within the healthcare sector, adding a layer of strain on already demanding roles.
“It’s a reminder that while pursuing a fulfilling career is important, maintaining a balanced life outside of work is essential. Ultimately, a balance that supports a healthy personal and professional lifestyle is key.”
More information about the research is available on Go.Compare’s website.
Notes to editors – about the data
[1] To discover the most and least stressful jobs, we created a weighted index factoring in the percentage of workers per 100,000 that reported work-related stress, anxiety and depression (SAD), along with the average annual salary and weekly hours.
Each element is weighted to 100% based on its impact on the workers’ stress levels. The SAD score is weighted the heaviest (0.6) and is based on the percentage of workers per 100,000 who reported work-related stress, anxiety, or depression (SAD) in 2023.[2]
The salary score is balanced with the hour’s score (0.2 each) and is based on the average annual salary and hours worked per occupation sourced from Union Learn.
Considering these factors, we calculated a score out of 10 for 70 different occupations in various job sectors outlined in the Health and Safety Executive’s 2023 report.
[2] The total number of work-related stress, anxiety, and depression reports was sourced from historical Health and Safety Executive figures.
[3] The percentage of reported cases of work-related stress, anxiety and depression per 100,000 workers was taken from the Health and Safety Executive’s 2023 report.
[4] The number of UK workers was extracted from the ONS Census 2021 data. This report also provided the percentage of workers within each job sector – using these percentages, we calculated the estimated number of workers for each industry.
[5] The number of days taken off for SAD was sourced from the Health and Safety Executive Working Days Lost in Great Britain report.
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