I have a lot of friends who operate CNC equipment, and even though the companies they work for are mostly cheapskates, and management treats them like dirt, they are quite happy with their jobs.

The vast majority of their time they are simply running parts. The machine does 99% of the work, they can pretty much sit there on their iphone or android, texting, emailing, playing games... and the money is not bad compared to a lot of the other jobs the folks would be qualified to do.

There is one large industrial operation here with a ton of CNCs going 24/7, the people that work there are all trying to get out and get a similar job at one of the dozens of small, locally owned shops. They eventually do. The big operation doesn't mind, because the work force is perpetually 'entry level' and is paid/treated accordingly. They really don't want long term employees, you have to pay them more, and offer benefits.

So maybe the survey parked outside of an operation like that and asked the folks going in and out how they liked their jobs... that would be a lot easier than traveling all over the county to find the three operators here, five there... working in small shops. If you asked them, most would probably say they're very happy.

So I agree with the others who smell something fishy with this survey.