One in four employees are hoping to start a new job in the coming year, with many chasing higher wages and more recognition from their bosses.
A poll of 2,000 UK employees, by HR and payroll software provider Ciphr, has found that nearly a quarter (24 per cent) are actively job hunting or planning to change employers. Nearly a third (32 per cent) of workers under 34, and 30 per cent of 35-44-year-olds, said they were (or will be) looking for different roles. This contrasts with around a fifth (22 per cent) of 45-55-year-olds, one in seven (14 per cent) 55-64-year-olds, and less than a tenth (7 per cent) of those over 65.
Respondents planning to look for another position this year were asked their reasons why. Feeling underpaid was the main driver for over a third (36 per cent) of those who said they were considering a move, with 37 per cent of women and 34 per cent of men unhappy with their wages.
A further quarter (24 per cent) said it was simply time to move on. While this doesn’t automatically signal job dissatisfaction, it’s likely. Given that most (90 per cent) survey respondents who selected this reason for wanting, or needing, to change their role also listed multiple other factors.
The same number of people (24 per cent) also want to quit due to a lack of recognition for their contributions, which is known to affect performance, morale, and engagement. Again, more women than men reported this. Over one in four (28 per cent) surveyed women, compared to one in six (17 per cent) surveyed men, cited feeling undervalued at work as a big motivator for wanting to leave their jobs.
A lack of job growth was also reported by more women than men, with 24 per cent of female employees (vs 18 per cent of male employees) having to seek employment elsewhere for the career progression, promotion opportunities and management responsibilities they want (as their current employer can’t accommodate them).
Other common reasons for seeking a new role include a desire for a more fulfilling career (23 per cent of those surveyed), not enjoying their job (22 per cent), feeling bored and unengaged (17 per cent), wanting a better work-life balance (17 per cent), wanting to reduce work stress and workload (16 per cent), and poor leadership (16 per cent).
Around one in seven (15 per cent) want to gain new knowledge and skills (15 per cent), and the same number of people said they wanted to be able to work at home more of the time (15 per cent).
“These findings should be a wake-up call for employers,” Claire Hawes, chief people and operations officer at Ciphr, said. “Around a third of workers under 45 want to switch jobs, with many saying they’re feeling underpaid and undervalued. That’s highlighting problems that are very fixable. People aren’t leaving because they hate the work… they’re leaving because they don’t feel recognised or seen.
“These things can’t be fixed overnight, however, and need a deliberate and sustained effort to improve over time,” she added. “Employers would benefit from identifying the two or three things they can do in the next year and creating tangible plans that they can communicate to their workforce about how they plan to change and improve their pay and recognition models. For example, audit your pay – you don’t need to match market rate overnight, but you should understand where the gaps (and risks) are, and be honest with your people about your pay strategy and plans.
“Retention is rooted in getting the basics right: fair pay, genuine recognition, and a credible career and growth story that employees can buy into,” concluded Hawes.
Based on survey data for different sectors, some roles may be facing more of an exodus than others. People working in hospitality and events management are comparatively more likely to be looking for a new position than other UK workers, with nearly two-fifths (39 per cent) wanting to move jobs. Around a third (34 per cent) of sales, marketing, advertising and PR professionals are also likely to be job hunting.
One in four people currently working in the charity and not-for-profit sector (30 per cent), in social care (29 per cent), and in business and management consulting, including HR and recruitment (25 per cent), are also planning to leave their organisations this year.
The full results are available to view at https://www.ciphr.com/infographics/a-snapshot-of-uk-employees-in-2026.
