Nearly half of employed adults in the U.S. (48%) are likely to look for a new job in the next year, according to the results of the latest American Staffing Association Workforce Monitor® survey conducted online by The Harris Poll.
Employed individuals are open not only to searching for a new job, but also to transitioning to a different career. Four in 10 working adults (38%) say they are likely to change careers (e.g., switch to a new industry or field, or a different position or role) within the next year, as do one in two Millennials (51%) and one in three members of Gen X (34%).
Many do not believe that landing their ideal job is a future possibility, as four in 10 working adults (44%) are worried they will never find the perfect job for them. Opinions differ based on employee occupation. Notably, half of those working in the office–administrative (51%), industrial (48%), and professional–managerial (47%) industry sectors lack confidence that they will ever find their ideal job, while two out of five in healthcare (39%) and one in three in the engineering, IT, and scientific sector (32%) share this concern. And seven in 10 students (69%) also worry about finding the right job.
“The U.S. is immersed in the tightest labor market in modern history with millions of unfilled openings across geographies and industries,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA president and chief executive officer. “It’s a job seeker’s market—a reality lost on many people who, as the ASA Workforce Monitor shows, sadly lack optimism about their prospects of finding a perfect position.”
To learn more about the ASA Workforce Monitor, visit americanstaffing.net/workforcemonitor. You can also follow ASA research on Twitter.
Method
The Harris Poll conducted the survey online within the U.S. on behalf of ASA, Aug. 27–29, 2019, among a total of 2,022 U.S. adults age 18 and older, of whom 1,111 are employed full-time or part-time, or self-employed. Results were weighted on age, gender, education, race/ethnicity, household income, and geographic region where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the U.S. population. In addition, the data were adjusted for differences between the online and offline populations.
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About the American Staffing Association (ASA)
The American Staffing Association is the voice of the U.S. staffing, recruiting, and workforce solutions industry. ASA and its state affiliates advance the interests of the industry across all sectors through advocacy, research, education, and the promotion of high standards of legal, ethical, and professional practices. For more information about ASA, visit americanstaffing.net.
About the ASA Workforce Monitor
The ASA Workforce Monitor is a periodic survey commissioned by ASA and conducted online by The Harris Poll among 2,000 or more U.S. adults age 18 and older. The survey series focuses on current workforce trends and issues. For more information about the survey series, visit ASA Workforce Monitor.
About The Harris Poll
The Harris Poll is one of the longest running surveys in the U.S. tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963 and is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm, visit The Harris Poll.