Finding a New Job Among Employees’ New Year’s Resolutions

More than one in five employees (21%) is pledging to leave their current employers in 2016, a 5% increase since last year (16%), according to a CareerBuilder survey.

Among younger workers, the numbers are starker. Three in 10 employees ages 18 to 34 expect to have a new job by the end of 2016, compared to 23% last year. To keep their resolution to find a new job, 34% of employees are regularly searching for job opportunities, even though they’re currently employed—a four point increase since last year.

Other top New Year’s resolutions workers say they’re making for the office this year include:

• Save more of my pay: 38% (vs. 42% last year);
• Be less stressed: 28% (vs. 34% last year);
• Get a raise or promotion: 26% (vs. 26% last year);
• Eat healthier at work: 19% (vs. 25% last year); and
• Learn something new (take more courses, training, seminars): 17% (vs. 22% last year).

Looking back, workers had the same top five resolutions for 2015, and while not all of their goals were met, here’s what was accomplished:

• Eat healthier at work: 13%;
• Be less stressed: 12%;
• Save more of my pay: 11%;
• Learn something new (take more courses, training, seminars): 9%; and
• Perform better on the job: 8%.

When asked what factors rank as more important than salary when considering a new position, employees said:

• Job stability: 65%;
• Affordable benefits: 59%;
• Location: 56%;
• Good boss: 51%; and
• Good work culture: 46%.

When asked if they could choose extra perks to make their workplace more satisfying, the most popular choices workers pointed to include:

• Half-day Fridays: 38%;
• On-site fitness center: 23%;
• Daily catered lunches: 22%;
• Massages: 18%; and
• Being able to wear jeans: 16%.