Notwithstanding a slumping housing market, surging energy prices and a fluctuating stock market, 65 percent of employed Americans say they are happy at work, according to the second annual SnagAJob.com Labor Happiness Index.

The percentage of U.S. workers content with their jobs is up slightly from the 61 percent who said they were happy in their jobs last year. While worker happiness is trending upwards slightly, the U.S. labor force is expressing marked concern over the nation’s economy. Six in 10 (57 percent) working Americans say that the economy is the most important issue facing the country today, a dramatic year-over-year increase from the two in 10 workers (18 percent) who said it was the most important issue in 2007.

Healthcare (21 percent), war (20 percent) and the economy (18 percent) were of relatively equal concern a year ago. But in deference to workers’ substantial concern for the current economy, healthcare and war have now dropped to 10 percent and 8 percent, respectively, in the 2008 survey, which was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs of more than 1,000 salaried and hourly employees. More.