Businesses grappling with skills shortages should be buoyed by the news that the majority of candidates surveyed by recruitment agency, Aspire, are currently seeking a new job.
Aspire’s study, in which 574 workers participated and explores the key trends impacting the world of work, shows that 52.6% are looking for a new challenge.
23.2% are intent on switching jobs between the next three and 12 months, with the remaining 9.2% of workers hoping to remain in their current role for at least a year before starting the job search. Just 14.9% had no plans to change jobs.
The economic conditions are driving the demand, with the largest group (37.6%) looking for a new job to earn more money.
Meanwhile, 30.1% said the fiscal landscape has no impact on their decision, while 33.3% were reluctant to change jobs due to the cost of living crisis and would prefer to sit tight.
Aspire’s Global Managing Director, Terry Payne, said, “The ‘new year, new me’ mentality means lots of people tend to look for new jobs. The good news is – despite the economic uncertainty – that there are plenty out there, with the latest ONS labour market statistics reporting well over a million job opportunities in the UK.
“That most workers aren’t just open to switching jobs, but actively looking for new roles, will be music to the ears of skills-strapped businesses, which are desperately in need of talent to kick on and weather the economic storm.
“These findings are a double-edged sword, though, and also highlight the fact that employers may need to do more to retain existing staff – who are clearly having their heads turned. Put simply, bringing new faces through the front door won’t solve skills problems if current staff are exiting through the back.”
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