Over Half of Americans Are Looking for New Jobs in 2023: Survey

Job seekers listen to a recruiter at the Colorado Hospital Association job fair in Denver, Colo., on Oct. 4, 2017. (Rick Wilking/Reuters/File Photo)

A survey by Bankrate on Monday found that more than half of American workers are likely to look for a new job in the near future.

Specifically, 56 percent of adults in the U.S. workforce—defined as those who have jobs or are searching for a new one—are more likely to seek for a new role in the next 12 months, according to Bankrate’s 2023 job seeker survey.

That figure is up from 51 percent in 2022, at the height of the “Great Resignation,” when many workers were looking for new jobs with better pay and flexibility.

Bankrate analysts cite the possibility of a recession and high layoff activity as the main factors that may be spurring workers to make new career moves.

Job Quality

Americans are also on the hunt for jobs that don’t cut back on bonuses and perks.

“Workers are prioritizing their paycheck more than benefits,” the survey noted. “Thirty percent of workers say higher pay is the most important quality in their employment moving forward, more than any other work perk.”

Meanwhile, 30 percent of workers say some kind of work-life benefit, such as flexible working hours (13 percent), the ability to work from home (12 percent), or more time off (5 percent) is the “most important job quality in their employment moving forward,” Bankrate said.

One in 10 ranked job security to be the most important employment factor, according to the data. Others indicated prioritizing things like paid-time-off, inclusiveness, and professional fulfillment as their most important factors.

The poll also found that 21 percent of workers have already left for a new job in the past year, and 30 percent of workers say they’re headed out the door within a year’s time. Another 37 percent say they are “very likely” to look for a new job over the same time period.

“Job openings have softened as interest rates, set by the Federal Reserve, skyrocketed over the past several months. After a record-high 12 million job openings last year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 10.8 million job openings in January 2023,” Bankrate reported.

Bankrate also found job security was a concern among 33 percent of employed Americans.

“The future trajectory of the economy, including whether job losses substantially accelerate as many expect, will help dictate how many workers look for a change, or will want to stay put,” Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate, said in a statement.

The survey, conducted on Bankrate’s behalf by YouGov, took place during March 8–10 and involved more than 2,400 adults. Of those respondents, about 1,500 had jobs or were looking for one.