Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what recent assessment they have made of the level of job satisfaction among armed forces personnel; and what trends, if any, they have identified.

The 2020 Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey (AFCAS) demonstrates that 58 per cent of personnel are satisfied with their job, an increase of three per cent since 2018.

Job satisfaction in the Armed Forces is a high priority for Defence. The Department seeks to measure job satisfaction in a robust, consistent and scientific manner, through forums such as the AFCAS. Although nearly 60 per cent are satisfied with their job, only 45 per cent are satisfied with Service life; we recognise that aspects of the latter can be a factor in decisions to leave. Whilst Armed Forces retention is generally stable and is towards the higher end of historic levels, we are taking active steps to bolster it.

The Ministry of Defence is actively working to modernise the employment offer for Service personnel to attract and retain the right mix of people and skills. This includes addressing the financial aspect of the offer, trialling at scale a new Future Accommodation Model (FAM) giving greater choice over housing options, and the introduction of Flexible Service allowing alteration of career commitment for set periods of time.