• I B Solberg, K Tómasson, O Aasland, and R Tyssen.
• Department of Behavioural Sciences in Medicine, Institute of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo, Blindern, 0317 Oslo, Norway, i.b.solberg@studmed.uio.no.
• Occup Med (Lond). 2014 Dec 1; 64 (8): 595-600.

BackgroundJob satisfaction in doctors is related to migration, burnout, turnover and health service quality. However, little is known about their job satisfaction during economic recessions. Iceland and Norway have similar health care systems, but only Iceland was affected severely by the 2008 economic crisis.AimsTo examine job satisfaction in Icelandic and Norwegian doctors, to compare job satisfaction with Icelandic data obtained before the current recession and to examine job satisfaction in response to cost-containment initiatives.MethodsA survey of all doctors working in Iceland during 2010, a representative comparison sample of Norwegian doctors from 2010 and a historic sample of doctors who worked at Landspitali University Hospital in Iceland during 2003. The main outcome measure was job satisfaction, which was measured using a validated 10-item scale.ResultsJob satisfaction levels in Icelandic doctors (response rate of 61%, n = 622/1024), mean = 47.7 (SD = 10.9), were significantly lower than those of Norwegian doctors (response rate of 67%, n = 1025/1522), mean = 53.2 (SD = 8.5), after controlling for individual and work-related factors. Doctors at Landspitali University Hospital (response rate of 59%, n = 345/581) were less satisfied during the recession. Multiple regression analysis showed that cost-containment significantly affected job satisfaction (P < 0.001).ConclusionsJob satisfaction in doctors was lower in Iceland than in Norway, which may have been attributable partly to the current economic recession.© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

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