A quarter of UK professionals are unhappy with their work-life balance, survey finds

And 38% of Londoners describe themselves as 'workaholics'

A quarter of professionals are dissatisfied with their work-life balance, according to a new survey.

Although the employment rate hit a record high in the final quarter of 2014, it appears that for many individuals their job proves far from satisfying.

Meanwhile, 38 per cent of Londoners believe that their family and friends view them as "workaholics", but 64 per cent said they still like working in the Big Smoke.

Part of the problem may be that work-life balance is only third on people’s list of priorities when choosing a job. Instead work enjoyment is the number one priority, with 41 per cent regarding it as the most important factor in selecting a job. Salary (23 per cent) is second on the list, while only 16 per cent of respondents viewed work-life as the most important consideration when choosing a job.

However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, as a third of UK professionals are confident that their situation will improve in the next five years.

Wayne Preston, head of banking at Investec, said: "We continue to see high levels of demand being placed on professionals throughout the UK. Advancements in technology make it harder than ever to 'switch off' outside the office and achieve an ideal work-life balance.

"Life doesn’t exist solely between the hours of 9 and 5, and working in a global marketplace across multiple time zones means the pressure to be always-on is high."