In these tough economic times many people have already lost their jobs, while many more fear their livelihoods could be next for the chopping block. But scientists reckon there's some consolation if you're about to be made redundant - especially if you're doing a job you don't enjoy or see no future in.
Flickr, D Sharon Pruitt
According to Australian psychiatrists writing in the journal BMC Public Health, people who have a dead-end job are less satisfied with their lot than people who have no job at all.
The experts quizzed around 4,000 people about their jobs, their working conditions and their mental wellbeing. Unsurprisingly those who said they enjoyed their work were the most likely to have a positive mental state.
The people who claimed they didn't enjoy their work, who had little job security or who were particularly stressed in their jobs had the least positive attitude - even when compared with those who were unemployed.
In other words, when people say it's better to have any job than no job, it may not necessarily be true - rather it may be good for your bank balance but where your mental health is concerned you'd be better off out of work than doing a job you hate.
It's hardly any consolation for those who are afraid their jobs are on shaky ground - after all, redundancy can be a particularly unpleasant experience, not just for your financial wellbeing but for your confidence and self-esteem too.
So would you rather have work - any work - and be earning money? Or do you think life's too short to be doing a job you hate?