It seems that 2016 could be a good year for resume writers, career counselors and recruiters.
Just about one of every five employees is determined to find a new job in the new year, with young workers meaning to be the footloosest of the footloose, according to a Harris Poll commissioned by CareerBuilder.
Twenty-one percent are determined to find new work, according to the poll, conducted between Nov. 4 and Dec.1 online. That is up 5 percentage points from a year ago.
But the restlessness is more striking with millennial employees: 30 percent of employees between the ages of 18 and 34 expect to have a new job this year, said CareerBuilder.
Of that “young worker demographic,” 34 percent is “regularly searching” for another job.
Perhaps ironically, the most important factor – other than salary – that workers value is job stability, according to the poll: 65 percent put it first.
Affordable benefits are more important than salary to 59 percent of respondents, location is a priority to 56 percent and 51 percent said a good boss outweighs the paycheck.
A solid minority – 46 percent – said a “good work culture” would be more important than pay.
In picking the perks they’d like on the job, the top five choices were working a half-day Friday, having an on-site fitness center, a catered lunch, massages on-site and the permission to wear jeans on the job.
“Just because a person is satisfied with their job doesn’t necessarily mean they aren’t looking for new work,” said Rosemary Haefner, the chief human resources officer at CareerBuilder. “Because of this, it’s critical to keep up with your employees’ needs and continue to challenge them with work they feel is meaningful.”
The metro Atlanta rate last month fell to 5.0 percent – equal to the national average.
A falling unemployment rate and solid job growth generally spur more “churn” among employees people feel increasingly comfortable about finding a new job if they leave their current employer.
CareerBuilder, of course, has more than casual interest in the whole question. The Chicago-based company provides software to help human resources departments handle hiring. Presumably, the more people changing jobs, the more the demand for CareerBuilder’s products and services.
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