The number of Irish workers who described themselves as stressed at work more than doubled between 2010 and 2015, according to new research from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI).

The study put stress among employees at 17% in 2015, compared to 8% in 2010. The finding was one of a number set out in Job stress and working conditions, which was funded by the Health and Safety Authority (HSA).

Employees in the health sector felt most stressed (18%), followed by public administration (16%) and manufacturing (15%).

The report’s found that Irish workers were more likely than their European counterparts to be stressed by emotional demands and exposure to bullying, harassment and other forms of mistreatment.

It also linked stress with long working hours, with those who worked over 40 hours a week twice as likely to experience job stress as people working between 36 and 40 hours.

This finding echoes concerns raised at Fórsa’s working time event last week. The event highlighted the benefits of reduced working time for employers, workers and society in general, and called for a four day working week.

The report is available here and more information is available here.