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In its Labor Day survey, StrategyOne finds that nearly two-thirds of working Americans doubt that they will ever be able to retire. Despite that dire prediction, 82 percent were satisfied with their jobs, and 80 percent said they got satisfaction from their work. About three-quarters said they enjoyed their workplaces and looked forward to coming to work every day.

"While employed Americans on the whole enjoy their work and get satisfaction from it, there is a real sense that the retirement `light at the end of the tunnel' may not be there for them," said Bradley Honan, senior vice president of StrategyOne.

More than 80 percent of workers respected their bosses, and more than 80 percent said their bosses respected their work. Three-quarters of respondents said their colleagues were among the best things about their workplaces.

The recession has taken its toll on the workplace, however. Almost half of workers have seen their wages decrease over the past few years. And nearly half worried about losing their jobs or having their hours reduced. Thirty-seven percent described themselves as underemployed.

Some other survey highlights: more than a quarter of workers feared being fired for taking a day off, 40 percent surf the Web for at least an hour each day, and nearly half said most of the meetings they attended were a waste of time.