The least-trusted professions in the UK
Bankers, journalists and politicians all come in above estate agents as the least trusted professionals in the UK. But is that a fair assessment?
Whenever I meet someone new, before long we talk about our careers and I routinely get a slightly nervous glance when I mention I’m a journalist.
This is the kind of look which I reserve for estate agents, but after a run of hacking scandals I now seem to have joined the category of ‘least trusted professionals’ along with bankers and politicians.
Now, while I don’t agree with this title, I can see how people would classify certain professions in this way.
Top and bottom of the list
Which? asked 2,060 adults their views on trusting people in different professions. Looking at the least-trusted professions, top - or rather bottom - of the list with 72% of the votes are politicians. Journalists came in second with 67%, while bankers placed as the third worst with 65%.
Unsurprisingly 82% of people said nurses were most trusted, with 80% choosing doctors and 69% putting teachers into third place. However, the results also show that people in these top positions are also more likely to be sacked if they fail to comply with industry codes or receive complaints from consumers.
At the other end of the scale people in the least trusted professions are much more likely to get away with bad behaviour and not face the risk of losing their jobs.
The least trusted professions in the UK
|
Profession |
Trust |
Don’t trust |
|
Politicians |
7% |
72% |
|
Journalists |
7% |
67% |
|
Bankers |
11% |
65% |
|
Estate agents |
11% |
51% |
|
Builders |
19% |
35% |
|
Civil servants |
25% |
27% |
|
Accountants |
29% |
28% |
|
Lawyers |
35% |
30% |
|
Engineers |
56% |
6% |
|
Teachers |
69% |
7% |
|
Doctors |
80% |
6% |
|
Nurses |
82% |
4% |
Do you agree with the list? Is it right that politicians, journalists and bankers take the top three spots or are there other professions which should be included? Let me know in the comment box below.
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Comments
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Sorry 'Iamcoldsteve', but you'd need to take provisions and a pack of cards with you, since the queue for punching such persons in the face would be pretty long in my opinion.....take your ticket and kindly wait patiently!
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@TBM When 'people' say 'Bankers', I don't think they mean the average worker in the local branch etc, or the frontline staff. I think the term has been used to describe only the 'slime' in the banking industry, those who do get insane bonuses etc.... Just like 'Bob' and his ilk. Personally, I would love to punch 'Bob' in the face.
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Here we go again, generalising. I accept that people fall within categories, but it’s only the minority of slime that have made the rest of the other hard-working individual appear to be a collective of pariahs. This is not fair, as there are good and bad people in all professions. Would you say that all Nuns are good, simply because of their faith? Perhaps if you'd gone to a convent as a child and had been brought up by Nuns, you may think that some were not so good...who knows? But this is my point. Some Bank staff are brilliant and 100% trustworthy, but the slime within my profession have tarred us all and now when you ask the public what they think of Bank staff, we are all apparently greedy, blood-sucking, money grabbing, big bonus riddled rubbish. That could not be more further from the truth. Terrorists are part of the general public. As we are all part of the general public, does that make us all terrorists? When will everyone stop generalising, or state that there are those Bankers, Accountants, Politicians....(insert any more professions of your choice here), in the world who are bad and thus we are all the same. Because we are NOT. Sorry folks...just HAD to state this. Thanks.
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06 October 2012