1 in 3 Canadian Employees Want to Break Up with Their Employer and Find a New Job They Love

TORONTO, Feb. 14, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- One in three Canadian employees is no longer in love with their job and is looking to break up with their current employer by actively searching for a new job to fall in love with, according to a recent Express Employment Professionals-Harris Poll.

Employees who are looking for new jobs have been at their current company for eight years on average, but 86% say they have concerns that are driving them to look for a relationship with a new employer. They fear not getting the salary increase they believe is deserved (44%), never being promoted (30%), a change in team structure (28%), a slowdown in work opportunities because of the economy (27%) and the company reducing workforce due to the economic climate (25%).

It comes as no surprise then, that over half (53%) of those employees looking for new work are doing so to find better compensation, which is a significant increase from last year (44% in the first half of 2023). Other reasons employees are looking for a new job include finding better work/life balance (37%) and better growth opportunities in their current industry (37%).

But Canadian job seekers are not overly optimistic about the ease of finding a new job to fall in love with. More than 2 in 5 (43%) believe the number of opportunities in their field has remained stagnant, and roughly 1 in 3 (31%) believe there are fewer jobs available compared to a year ago. Accordingly, more than half of job seekers (60%) think it will be difficult for them to find a new job in the next few months.

Nevertheless, job seekers seem undeterred, with most (63%) believing it will take them six months or less to find a job. Although employed job seekers worry about salary and benefits, many have asked for a raise from their current employer (41%), and one-quarter (26%) have asked for better benefits in the past year because of an increase in the cost of living.

Interestingly, the youngest employees are most likely to ask for higher pay and better benefits. Half of Gen Z job seekers (49%) asked for a raise compared to only 32% of Boomers. Gen Z job seekers were also much more likely to ask for better benefits (38%) than their Boomer counterparts (12%).

“The good news for employers is quality talent is out there and ready to make a move if the circumstances are right,” said Express Employment International CEO Bill Stoller. “But the data shows that, just as in any relationship, employers have to value their employees or risk losing them.”

Survey Methodology

The Job Seeker survey was conducted online within Canada by the Harris Poll on behalf of Express Employment Professionals from November 9-26, 2023, among 509 Canadian adults ages 18 and older.

For full survey methodology, please contact [email protected].

If you would like to arrange for an interview to discuss this topic, please contact Ana Curic at (613) 858-2622 or email [email protected].

About Bill Stoller
William H. "Bill" Stoller is chairman and chief executive officer of Express Employment International. Founded in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, the international staffing franchisor supports the Express Employment Professionals franchise and related brands. The Express franchise brand is an industry-leading, international staffing company with franchise locations in the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

About Express Employment Professionals
At Express Employment Professionals, we’re in the business of people. From job seekers to client companies, Express helps people thrive and businesses grow. Our international network of franchises offers localized staffing solutions to the communities they serve across the U.S., Canada, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, employing 579,000 people globally in 2022 and 10 million since its inception. For more information, visit ExpressPros.com/CA.