Unemployment or bad work, what is worse?

The era of global financial crisis implied not only unemployment and lack of money it also brought desperate conditions for people who try to live through the worst recession times. While about 14.5 million workers are unemployed in America those who have jobs feel stuck in bad jobs and are seeking ways to cope, experts say.

"They want to leave their jobs because they can't stand somebody in the office or the politics of the company or they're overworked or underworked or they don't like the culture of the company," said Kathi Elster, co-author of "Working for You Isn't Working for Me," due out next month.

It is not only about lack of opportunity to change bad job for better one it is also about more work and pressure from above experts note.

"It's a perfect storm," said Mitchell Kusy, co-author of "Toxic Workplace." In his research of 400 business leaders, 64 percent were currently working with a "toxic personality" and 94 percent had done so at some point in their career.

A survey released this week showed that many workers would change jobs if they could. The report revealed that 18% plan to change employers, 14% plan to change careers, 13% plan to change industries and 18% say they want to work fewer hours.

"The unemployed people we know who really can't find jobs are actually happier than the people that are employed because it's so difficult right now," said Elster.

Workers meet not only increased volume of work but also bad culture in the organizations they work. One such vivid case was cited by a New York worker. He described a boss who, while not sick, nonetheless holds business meetings in bed, with employees gathered in his bedroom.

"Right now I'm looking for a new job, the market be damned," the worker said, not wanting to be identified.

A senior information technology analyst, who also did not want to be named, said his boss is "a workplace lawsuit waiting to happen." She flaunts employment laws and workplace rules and tries to impress superiors while berating the staff, he said.

"I was looking for another position before the recession hit and working on starting my own business, but that's been put on hold until things improve," he said. "When things do get better, I'm leaving as soon as I can."

"One of the challenges of this climate is most employees, they're afraid to say no, they're afraid to set any kind of limits and they're afraid even to take vacation," said Katherine Crowley, co-author of "Working for You Isn't Working for Me."