Hairdressers hold key to happiness

8:00am Sunday 22nd April 2007

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HAIRDRESSERS are the happiest in their jobs according to a recent survey, but do Warrington's crimpers feel the same?

"I love it," said Gareth Dawson, from Andrew Moran Hairdressing, on Sankey Street. "It is just a nice atmosphere, you get a regular clientele base and you get to catch up with them.

"It doesn't feel like a job, it feels more like a hobby."

The results come from the Happiness Index, compiled by City and Guilds and rates how happy we are in our jobs.

Stylists claimed that they loved their jobs the most, rating it 8.69 out of 10, the highest score out of all other professions.

Kelly Reedy, from N-Joi Hair Co on Bridge Street, added: "You are meeting new people everyday, it's like a social event.

"The clients confide in you; you are like an agony aunt."

It seems that hairdressers just love transforming their client's looks with the help of some hair colouring and a pair of scissors and seeing them admire their new look.

Kelly continued: "You notice the difference in their look and it gives them confidence."

Second to hairdressers in the happiness stakes were beauty therapists, who slipped from the top spot in the index, but are still pretty content with a rating of 8.02 out of 10.

The regional break down also highlights a north-south divide.

It shows that northerners are happier in their jobs than their southern counterparts.

And, according to the study, people in Manchester are 72 per cent happier than average.

But in a stark contrast, people working in administration type jobs scored the least enjoyable, rating desk jobs with a happiness score of just 6.3 out of 10.

But there was some surprising news when it came to the bearings of wage packets on happiness.

Chris Humphries, director general of City and Guilds, who helped compile the index, said: "When asked to rate their workplace in terms of happiness, almost a third of people earning in the 10k - 15k bracket gave their job a 10 out of 10.

"Compare that to workers in the 40k - 45k income bracket, where less than five per cent gave their workplace a 10.

"This indicates, and it may come as a surprise to some, that financial reward doesn't always mean a happier working environment or employee."

But surely there must be at least one thing that makes a hairdresser's job that little bit intolerable?

"Your feet ache," confesses Kelly.