Do you find your job truly satisfying?

We pose a very simple question on this Labor Day: Do you enjoy your work?

It's an important question because a recent Gallup poll finds that American adults employed at a full-time job work an average of 47 hours per week. Being unhappy in a career could have a serious impact on an employee's physical and mental health.

A recent Ohio State University study indicates that Americans who are not happy with their career choices when they are young are prone to suffer from depression when they are older.

Rachel Ranosa, writing for techtimes.com, notes researchers say that the earlier you excel in your career, the less likely you are to have emotional and mental health problems as you age. The nationwide study, conducted by Ohio State'sJonathan Dirlam and Hui Zheng, finds a strong relationship between job satisfaction early in a person's career and his or her mental health.

That means people who are not very happy with their jobs when they are in their 20s and 30s are more likely to experience depression once they reach middle age.

"There is a cumulative effect of job satisfaction on health that appears as early as your 40s," says Dirlam, who was the lead author of the study.

The good news is it's never too late for young Americans to find a job that does make them happy. Switching careers can prevent the onslaught of emotional and mental health issues that researchers say appear in midlife.

"You don't have to be near the end of your career to see the health impact of job satisfaction, particularly on your mental health," Zheng, who is an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State, told Ranosa .

We want to hear from you. Are you happy in your job? Do you find your work satisfying or suffocating?

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