Almost nine in 10 (87%) British workers point to job satisfaction as a key influence when it comes to selecting a career, compared to the 84% who rate money as the most important factor.

Some 83% of those surveyed said getting a balance between their work and personal life was an important factor in selecting a career.

Lisa Winnard, director of the FAS, said: “While salary is clearly important to the majority of people when making a decision about their working life, job satisfaction is deemed to be even more influential when deciding upon a career.

“The fact that the public focuses more on being content in their job is especially poignant at the moment – with the UK still in recession.

“Employers ought to take note of these findings and realise that creating a positive workplace and imposing achievable targets may be of greater value than a larger pay packet for some employees.

“With 85% of women highlighting the importance of a good work/life balance when selecting a career, employers also need to provide opportunities for their staff to be flexible in their working life.”

This comes as recent unemployment figures from the Office for National Statistics revealed that the number of people out of work fell by 65,000 to 2.58m in the three months to May.