MISERY comes with the job for almost half of all self-employed workers in the region, a new survey says.

Results published in the new Lloyds TSB LifeIndex revealed just 52 per cent of people who worked for themselves enjoyed their jobs in the first quarter of 2001, compared with 63 per cent of those employed by others.

But despite this, 6.4 per cent of self-employed people felt positive about the future compared with 6.3 per cent a year ago - a figure well above the national average of 5.8 per cent.

More than half of those who worked for themselves were worried about becoming victims of crime and 35 per cent said they felt lonely.

The LifeIndex, which saw 6,000 Lloyds TSB customers surveyed, has now divided society into eight groups - fulfilment seekers, fifty- focused and free, job junkies, mums-on-the-run, weary-why-mes, doing my bit brigade, parenting grandparents and tribal 20s.

"It's distressing that self-employed workers have found their work less enjoyable following the Christmas period," said David Singleton, manager of business banking at Lloyds TSB.

"The responsibilities of being your own boss can sometimes be onerous, particularly when the pressure is on to maintain the profitability of your business in an intensely competitive marketplace.

"Work begins to infringe on leisure time and self-employees can find themselves increasingly isolated from their friends.

"But self-employed workers are traditionally resilient, and it's fantastic to see they are feeling upbeat about their future prospects."