- Reed.co.uk research finds that one-in-four UK workers (25%) are considering leaving their current job in the next 12 months, with a further 18% undecided on whether to leave or not.
- Younger workers aged 18-34 are nearly twice as likely to consider a job change (32%) than workers aged 55-65 (17%).
- ‘Lack of enjoyment’ ranked as the main reason behind workers considering a job change (30%), narrowly trumping a salary increase (29%) despite the growing cost-of-living crisis.
New research by Reed.co.uk, one of the UK’s leading jobs and careers sites, has found that one-in-four UK workers (25%) are considering leaving their current job within the next 12 months, citing job dissatisfaction as the main reason. A further 18% of UK workers are undecided on whether they planned to leave or not.
Despite the ongoing cost-of-living crisis, “I don’t enjoy my current job” ranked as the main reason (30%) why workers are looking for a new job, exceeding the desire for an ‘increased salary’ (29%), followed by a dislike of the current workplace culture (19%).
With almost a third of UK workers indicating that they don’t enjoy their current job, the root causes of this sense of job dissatisfaction amongst workers range from low salaries (50%), toxic workplace culture (44%), poor management (39%), a sense of not being valued (34%), and a lack of career progression opportunities (16%).
It was amongst middle-aged workers – those aged 35-44- and 45–54-year-olds – that the desire to move jobs in search of more satisfying work ranked highest – 33% and 34% respectively, compared to an average of 25% amongst other age groups. However, 18-34-year-olds are almost twice as likely to actually act on this job dissatisfaction by considering a job move than older workers (32% compared to 17% of 55-64-year-olds).
For employers keen to retain staff, a salary increase (50%), flexible hours (24%) and more perks and benefits (24%) rank as the factors most likely to make workers stay.
The benefits most valued by workers include flexible working hours (62%), remote working options (36%), mental health support (34%) and career development programmes (32%). In fact, 45% of workers stated that they either only apply for jobs that list flexible or remote working or are more likely to apply for such roles. However, ‘Boomers’ are far less concerned about flexibility with only 6% reporting they’re looking for more flexibility in a new role, compared to 22% of ‘Millennials’.
James Reed, Chairman of Reed.co.uk, comments:
“Among the many long-lasting impacts of COVID-19 on the UK economy is the increasing demand amongst workers for employment that provides more meaningful, enjoyable and satisfying experiences
“The record levels of job vacancies on offer across all sectors and regions have empowered workers to prioritise a sense of job satisfaction and, in turn, to more actively critique their current employer’s inability to meet their needs.
“While salary increases from current and prospective employers remain attractive to workers - increasingly so in a cost-of-living crisis - the fact that job dissatisfaction ranks so highly amongst all age brackets is a signal to employers that more can be done to better meet the needs of workers beyond pay rises.
“In fact, for UK businesses unable to match the salary offers of their competitors and attract talent, this re-focus in the workforce on job satisfaction may provide a unique opportunity to edge ahead by offering broader employee benefits beyond pay: such as more flexible working, mental health support and enhanced career development programmes.”