Half of U.S. Workers Unhappy with Bosses -- One-Third Want to Quit

Half of the American workforce may soon be bounding for the building exits, a new survey reveals.

The survey by consulting firm Mercer illustrates just how discontent workers are with their jobs, with half of the 2,400 workers polled expressing unfavorable opinions of their employers.

In addition, one in three workers are seriously considering leaving their jobs, more than a 20 percent increase in the past six years. Twenty-one percent of employees have already mentally checked out, citing negative views and dissatisfaction.

Mindy Fox, a senior partner at Mercer, noted that the low morale can cause employers to face higher retention costs and decreased productivity. "The business consequences of this erosion in employee sentiment are significant," Fox said in a statement.

Fewer than half the workers polled said they felt they were doing enough to prepare for retirement, while only 41 percent feel their employers are doing enough to help them prepare.

"Employees see a disconnect between what employers are promising and what they are delivering," Fox said.

Surprisingly, employees are considering leaving their current jobs, even if they haven't begun looking for an alternative, which according to recent economic forecasts, are few and far between. The economy gained only 54,000 jobs in May, indicating a significant slowdown in the pace of hiring since 232,000 jobs were added in April.

Nonexistent wage growth and increased workloads are at the root of workers' dissatisfaction, with more than half of those surveyed claiming they're not happy with their pay rate, followed by issues with career development and performance management.

"Often, a change in mood or sentiment is not spotted until it becomes a full-blown issue," research consultant Pete Foley said in a statement. "Employers must periodically take the pulse of their own employees to identify their specific areas of concern and link employee opinion to outcomes such as productivity and retention."