New research from staffing firm Robert Half suggests that many U.S. workers will be looking for new roles in the coming months. According to the firm’s “Job Optimism” survey, the majority of workers (87%) feel confident about their skill set and job security. Still, nearly 1 in 3 (32%) they plan to look for a new role in the coming months.
The top reasons for seeking a new role are to increase salary and to have access to better career advancement opportunities (29% each).
Some additional findings from the press release:
- 55% of Gen Z employees (age 18 to 24) plan to look for a new job, mainly because of a lack of professional development opportunities at their current company.
- More men (36%) than women (29%) will look for a new job in the next few months.
- People earning less than $50,000 a year are most interested in making a move.
- Of the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, workers in Atlanta (50%), Charlotte (44%), Houston (41%), and Sacramento (41%) are most likely to look for a new role.
These results align with those of other recent surveys, like this one, which found that as many as 7 in 10 employees may change jobs after the pandemic.
The Robert Half survey also revealed two key factors that determine whether employees stay or go:
- Values. More than 1 in 3 respondents (31%) want to work for an organization that better aligns with their values, and 71% of employees say they would leave a company whose values don’t align with their own.
- Flexibility. Almost half (47%) of respondents want a fully remote role, and 39% said they are interested in full-time contracting, with millennials being the most likely to seek out remote or contracting roles.
“As we turn the corner on COVID-19 and business conditions improve, employers will face new hiring and retention challenges and must adapt to meet the needs of a more resilient and resolute workforce,” Robert Half senior executive director Paul McDonald said.
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