List: These professions cause the most burnout

The job with the highest burnout is also one of the most popular professions companies hire for. This is according to new research from the site LinkedIn, which examined more than 16,000 professionals in the USA from March to June.

Four out of ten American workers say they feel stuck and burnt out in their jobs. The percentage is even higher for project managers, with 50 percent of professionals in this field saying they feel burnt out.

At the other end of the spectrum, a third of workers in consulting, real estate, and business development roles feel stressed and overworked, indicating that these jobs have the least chance of causing burnout.

The list:

1. Program and project management
2. Health and healthcare services
3. Community and social services
4. Quality assurance
5. Education

According to Kandi Wiens, head of the University of Pennsylvania’s master’s program in medical education, burnout is not just due to long hours or heavy workloads.

In her book Burnout Immunity, she interviewed hundreds of people in stressful job environments such as hospital staff, project managers, and business leaders – professions that often require continuous multitasking, strict deadlines, and acting as intermediaries between employees and customers.

The fact that project managers are also one of the most sought-after roles that companies actively recruit for is cause for concern, she argues.

“These are emotionally demanding jobs. When you work in a caring profession, you deal with many difficult, sensitive situations, some of which can have serious consequences for a child’s or a patient’s well-being … which can become exhausting quickly,” Wiens says.