Fewer employees eyeing new jobs amid higher career satisfaction: survey

New report finds 81% of U.S. employees happy in current careers

Fewer employees eyeing new jobs amid higher career satisfaction: survey

Fewer employees are planning to jump ship in the next six months as career satisfaction goes up, driven strongly by competitive salaries, according to a new report. 

The report, released by Robert Half, found that only 29% of employees in the United States plan to look for a new job in the next six months. 

This comes as 81% said they are generally happy in their current role, up from 77% six months ago. 

According to the report, the factors contributing to career satisfaction include:

  • Competitive salaries with regular merit increases (83%) 
  • Fair workloads and job expectations (77%) 
  • A positive work culture and team dynamic (77%)

Importance of 'career pathing' 

Michelle Reisdorf, district president of Robert Half, added that another factor contributing to satisfaction is career pathing. 

"Career pathing is about them knowing that they are not just applying for a job today or a role, but actually the path of their future for the next three to five years," Reisdorf said in a video statement

"Employers must provide career pathing options in order to retrain top talent." 

Importance of upskilling 

Meanwhile, the Robert Half report further found how important upskilling is in the workforce, with 77% of employees learning a new skill in the last year. 

"Upskilling is very important to them in building a better career for the future of tomorrow," Reisdorf said. "If you are an employer, you must provide upskilling and training in order to attract and retain this top talent." 

Upskilling is one of the top megatrends in workplaces across the world as of late, with many employers urged to upskill their workforce in the wake of rapid technological advancement. 

A report from the Global Labour Market Conference last year stressed that supporting employees' skill needs can also benefit organisations

"Businesses, therefore, have an incentive to invest in the training of their employees to improve performance and retain talent, which in turn can lead to a more competitive position in the market," the report read.