Many people satisfied with their jobs despite tough times

— -- First the good news: Nine in 10 people said they were satisfied with their jobs or the work that they do — and that remained steady throughout 2008, despite the economy.

And now the bad, even if it's not so surprising: The number of people who said their employer reduced the size of the workforce rose dramatically during the year, from 15% in the first quarter to 23% in the fourth quarter.

That's according to a survey from Gallup and health management company Healthways. Nearly each day in 2008, about 1,000 adults were asked about their physical, emotional and economic and workplace well-being.

When it came to their work environment, many of the 355,334 people surveyed by phone were positive. But there were some labor pains.

Just 47% of respondents from Hawaii said they were satisfied with their jobs, used their strengths at work, were treated by a supervisor as a partner and worked in an "open, trusting environment." That was the lowest score of any state on a work environment index that was compiled by calculating positive responses in those four areas.

Utah nabbed top honors, with 59% of its respondents saying those four elements were prevalent in work lives.

Among the biggest differences between Utah and Hawaii: 73% of Utah respondents said their supervisor created a trusting environment, while only 58% of folks in Hawaii felt that way. The national average was 65%.

The Gallup-Healthways AHIP Congressional Report didn't offer any insights into why Utah ruled and Hawaii ranked so poorly on the workplace front.

Hawaii's residents took the No. 1 slot in another survey area, emotional health.

"Maybe having a job while you're in paradise may not be all that great," says Jim Harter, a chief scientist of workplace and well-being at Gallup.

Utah has done well in separate workplace studies, as well. After considering factors such as unemployment rate, job growth, income growth, median household income and the cost of living, Moody's Economy.com named its capital, Salt Lake City, the best U.S. city to work in for 2007 and 2008.