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Survey Reveals Scariest Jobs According To American Workers

DETROIT (WWJ) - What makes a job frightening? Imminent danger? Public speaking? Eerie surroundings? As Halloween weekend approaches, American workers voted on the scariest profession, choosing careers ranging from the death-defying (firefighter) to the potentially humiliating (stand-up comedian).

The nationwide survey was conducted by Harris Interactive from August 16 to September 8, 2011 with more than 4,300 workers.

Among the scariest jobs are:

  1. Bomb Squad Technician
  2. High Rise Window Washer
  3. Armed Forces
  4. Miner
  5. Police Officer
  6. Alaskan Crab Fishing
  7. Mortician
  8. Firefighter
  9. High School Teacher
  10. Cemetery Worker
  11. Exterminator
  12. Stand-Up Comedian
  13. Animal Control
  14. Stunt Person
  15. Politician

What are employees most afraid of at work? While most Americans won't find themselves in any of the above careers, aspects of their own jobs can keep them on edge.

More than a third of workers (36 percent) say layoffs are what they are most afraid of at work. Other work-related issues that may keep workers up at night include:

  • Pay cuts – 13 percent
  • Workload – 9 percent
  • Presenting in front of other people – 9 percent
  • Forced relocation – 4 percent
  • The boss – 3 percent

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder among 4,384 U.S. workers (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) ages 18 and over between August 16 and September 8, 2011.

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