Nine out of ten workers in the South-East say they are under stress.

The majority put the source of their stress down to their jobs.

A survey by the Work Live Balance Centre and Keele University found more people in the region felt their workload had increased in the past year and 80 per cent said it got out of control at least some of the time.

But fewer workers in the South-East suffered work-related illness - 66 per cent compared to 71 per cent nationally.

Women had a more positive attitude to their work than men but the numbers who felt under stress at times was equal between the sexes. Work Life Balance director Julie Hurst, said: "If employers don't address the negatives, they will miss out on a great deal of good will and enthusiasm."