One in 20 workers ‘hoping to switch jobs before Christmas’

One in 20 (5%) workers are hoping to switch jobs before Christmas, a survey has found.

Around a quarter (26%) of people are actively jobhunting, according to the research.

A survey of 2,000 workers across the UK was carried out for jobs website Totaljobs, which also analysed more than four million job changes from 2015 onwards.

More than 4,000 jobseekers from its database were also surveyed.

Three-quarters (75%) of jobseekers reported they are more likely to consider working in a different industry following the coronavirus pandemic.

Less than a fifth (18%) of those who have already switched industry over the past year intend to resume their former career.

Looking further ahead, a quarter (25%) of workers plan to change jobs in the next two years.

When looking at specific industries, 49% of those working in construction were actively looking for jobs or are on their notice period, along with 41% of those in administration jobs and 38% working in the IT sector.

When considering the motivations for future career moves, the majority (57%) of jobseekers cited work-life balance as the key reason, above a higher salary (52%) and learning new skills (38%).

More than three-quarters (76%) of people said their work-life balance is now more important to them.

Totaljobs’ analysis of career changes since 2015 found more than half (52%) of job moves involved switching to a different industry altogether.

Its analysis found people in HR were particularly likely to stay within their sector when securing a new job (64%), followed by those working in design (62%) and IT (62%).

The analysis also found that public sector and policing staff remain with the same employer for an average of just under nine years, as do employees working in the arts and entertainment industries.

At the other end of the scale, marketing and PR staff stay with their company for around five-and-a-half years on average.

The end of the furlough scheme will mean jobs uncertainty for some workers, while some sectors such as hospitality and transport have been struggling to fill roles.

Totaljobs chief executive Jon Wilson said: “Our research shows that for many people, the career ladder isn’t so linear any more; career shifts and job changes are commonplace.

“With Covid-19 changing our day-to-day working lives, people are increasingly searching for work-life balance, flexibility or simply for a job they can get more satisfaction out of, and they’ll look to other industries to find it.

“With a record number of job vacancies this summer, many industries who had to hit pause on their hiring in the height of the pandemic are now experiencing labour shortages, and these are likely to continue in the coming months.

“Businesses with an urgent hiring need should make sure they’re getting the basics right when attracting talent. Job adverts that include essential pieces of information like a clear job title, location, salary and ways of working are more likely to win applications.

“Equally, employers must be clear about what their business is bringing to the table beyond the remit of a role, whether that’s remote working, wellbeing programmes or training initiatives. Consider how you can attract the three-quarters of people considering a career change, and pitch the unique benefits of your industry – especially if you can offer candidates something their previous sector couldn’t.”