Determinants of job satisfaction for Romanian employees aged 50+ depending on regional economic development. Evidence from the SHARE-ERIC consortium

In this paper, we analyse the determinants of job satisfaction, using the latest SHARE-ERIC dataset (Wave 7) filtered for Romania (over 2000 records). After applying logistic regressions with average marginal effects, we obtained an overall and seven regional models which emphasize that a good atmosphere at the workplace and the deserved recognition received for the work done are the most reliable predictors of career satisfaction, confirmed in this order of importance by many other robustness checks. Particularly, in the case of respondents from the Western part of Romania, we found that the meritocracy-based influence, namely the deserved recognition, counts almost as much as the workplace atmosphere. For these individuals, previous educational performance and lifetime employment in a single job matter more than the previous dual-core on job satisfaction. Unexpectedly, the adults from Central Romania present a negative influence of life satisfaction on job satisfaction due to an unbalanced work-family vision of life. The locus of control has different effects on job satisfaction in South and South-Western regions, while in North-East meaning in life is negatively influencing job satisfaction. Bridge employment exerts a negative influence on career satisfaction in North-West and in South-East the interpersonal trust has a positive effect