London: Holding a job is more important to people than how much they are paid, according to a survey.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) analysed responses from more than 2,000 people to David Cameron's initiative to measure the nation's wellbeing.
The emerging results showed that job security, personal health and relationships with family members were at the top of most people's concerns, and were cited by nine out of 10 of those responding to the ONS consultation.
Other key ingredients of a happy life were parents' sense of security of their children's future, with couples keen that their children have a good life and a nice place to live; the freedom of society; and spiritual and religious beliefs, the Telegraph reports.
Respondents were more likely to rate having a job as important to them than being paid a high salary.
Anastasia de Waal, a social policy analyst at the think tank Civitas, said employment was central to people's sense of identity and wellbeing. "A job is about your life, it is not about your income," she said.
"It is about every aspect - having the motivation to get up in the morning, self-esteem and being a role model to your children. Income is almost secondary to that."
"People's lives fall apart if they don't have a job. There is a strong relationship between unemployment and family breakdown and health difficulties," she concluded.
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