Job Satisfaction among Youth in Military and Civilian Work Settings

The end of conscription and the transition to the all-volunteer force changed the organizational nature of the military. The most important impact was on recruitment of youth. This article addresses the question of whether or not the military, under all-volunteer conditions, provides a competitive workplace for young people. This question is answered by comparing the military and civilian occupational settings to ascertain "quality of life" using the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth Labor Market Experience. This survey included interviews of 12,000 youth, 1,200 of which were serving in the armed forces. The findings indicated that in many ways American youth do not regard the military as a normal work setting; there were significant differences between evaluation of monetary and nonmonentary aspects of the job; and negative perceptions persist, especially among the Army and Marine Corps. In conclusion, greater dissatisfaction among service personnel relative to civilian counterparts can be expected to reduce the propensity for military service in the upcoming cohort.