Career Change Statistics
Up-to-date statistics on career change, fulfilment, and the future of work.
Stats on wanting greater work flexibility
Hybrid working arrangements are more common for parents. Employees with children are much more likely to have a hybrid arrangement that involves 1, 2 or 3 days a week of working from home. Employees without children are more likely to be fully in person with 0 days a week at home, or to be fully remote with 5+ day a week at home. - 27 May 2025, Global Survey of Working Arrangements (G-SWA)
WFH is highest in North America and Europe, and lowest in Asia. English-speaking countries have on average the highest levels of WFH at about 1.5 to 2 days a week, European countries are a little below at around 1 to 1.5 days a week, Latin American and African countries are lower still at around 1 day per week, and Asian countries are the lowest at 0.5 to 1 day per week. - 27 May 2025, Global Survey of Working Arrangements (G-SWA)
20 to 25 % of workforces in advanced economies could work from home three to five days a week, which is four to five times more remote work than pre-COVID-19. - 23 Jan 2023, Mckinsey & Company
94% of organisations are allowing employees more flexibility as to where and when they work. - 9 Jun 2021, Gartner
98% of remote workers want to continue to work remotely (at least for some of the time) for the rest of their careers. Remote workers are happiest when they spend more than 76% of their time working remotely. - 1 Feb 2020, Buffer & AngelList
Men across the globe are 8% more likely than women to work remotely. - 1 Sep 2018, OWL Labs
Globally, the majority of companies don’t allow remote work. 44% work for companies that don't allow remote work, but 16% work for companies that are fully remote. - 1 Sep 2018, OWL Labs
52% of global employees work from home at least once a week. Additionally, 68% of employees work remotely at least once a month. - 1 Sep 2018, OWL Labs
South American's are 67% more likely than average to always work remotely. - 1 Sep 2018, OWL Labs
Stats on being happy or fulfilled at work
33% of the world's employees say they are thriving in their lives overall, a decline since its peak at 35% in 2022. Older managers and female managers experienced the biggest decreases in the past year (2024). - 23 Apr 2025, Gallup
Global employee engagement fell two points to 21% in 2024, with lost productivity costing the global economy $438 billion. - 23 Apr 2025, Gallup
Diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives have become more prevalent, with 83% of employers reporting such an initiative in place, compared to 67% in 2023. Expanding talent availability by tapping into diverse talent pools is highlighted by four times more employers (47%) than two years ago (10%). - 4 Feb 2025, World Economic Forum
Supporting employee health and well-being is expected to be a top focus for talent attraction, with 64% of employers surveyed identifying it as a key strategy to increase talent availability. - 4 Feb 2025, World Economic Forum
$8.9 trillion lost in global GDP due to low engagement. - 1 Jun 2024, Gallup
Before the pandemic the average workplace happiness score was 64%. 6 months after lockdown people’s happiness at work has increased on average to 72%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
Following Covid more people feel more anxious and depressed about their work, which has risen from 58% to 61%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
There has been a 7% increase in employee happiness levels post-Covid, rising from 60% pre-covid to 67%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
There has been a 12% increase in people feeling that their employer cares for their wellbeing post-covid, rising from 60% to 72%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
The happiest workers are employed in Switzerland with a happiness score of 75.2%. India has the second happiest at 73.05% and the UK has the third happiest employees with a score of 69.29%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
WorkL’s survey data shows that the older you get, the happier you feel in the workplace. 77% of middle aged and older workers feel they are doing something more worthwhile than younger workers aged 19-34, who scored 63%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
WorkL's survey data found people aged 45+ are happiest with their working environment scoring 72% compared to those aged 19-44, who scored 65%. - 1 Oct 2021, Engaging Business / WorkL
Globally, those who work remotely at least once a month are 24% more likely to feel happy and productive in their roles than those who don't or can't work remotely. - 1 Sep 2018, OWL Labs
84% of employees aren't fully engaged at work. - 1 Jul 2018, ADP Research Institute
Worldwide, 13% of employees are engaged at work. 24% are "actively disengaged," indicating they are unhappy and unproductive at work. - 8 Oct 2013, Gallop
A survey of nearly 90,000 employees found that only 21% felt fully engaged at work and nearly 40% were disenchanted or disengaged. - 1 Jan 2007, Towers Perrin
Stats on a good workplace culture
48% of Gen Z and millennial employees would consider leaving their jobs if their well-being wasn’t being supported. - 5 Feb 2025, Robert Walters’ Salary Survey
In 2023, loneliness was higher among fully remote employees (25%) and lowest among those fully on-site (16%). Hybrid workers fell in between (21%). - 1 Jun 2024, Gallup
Low employee engagement costs the global economy $8.8 trillion -- 9% of global GDP. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
23% of the world’s employees were engaged at work in 2022, the highest level since Gallup began measuring global engagement in 2009. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
23% of global employees are thriving at work; 59% are not engaged and quietly quitting; 18% are actively disengaged. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
Engagement (and what people experience day to day) has 3.8 times as much influence on employee stress as work location. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
The reasons behind 85% of those considered to be quietly quitting were related to engagement or culture, pay and benefits, or wellbeing-work/life balance. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
41% of those considering quiet quitting would change the engagement or culture to make it better; 28% would change the pay and benefits; 16% would make workplace improvements to wellbeing. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
In Europe only 13% of employees are engaged with their work; 72% are not engaged and quieltly quitting. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
6 in 10 people surveyed (or 61%) chose their employer based on their beliefs and values. - 12 Aug 2021, Edelman
Employees are between 8 and 9.5 times more likely to want to work for an organisation that takes a stand and demonstrates commitment in human rights, healthcare access, economic inequality, gender equality and / or climate change issues. One-third of survey respondents have left organisations that failed to take a stand on important societal or political issues. - 12 Aug 2021, Edelman
Someone working for a company with open and effective management is 50% more likely to stay for three years. They're 34% more likely to stay where employees are empowered, compared to someone at a company seen as giving employees less influence and autonomy. - 20 Nov 2019, LinkedIn
74% of U.S. and U.K. employees say workplace culture is important to them, but only 40% reported having a positive work culture at their company. 58% would take a job with a competing company if the new company had a better culture. - 1 May 2019, Speakap
The most important attributes of a strong workplace culture are: respect and fairness (39%), trust and integrity (23%), and teamwork (9%). - 1 May 2019, Speakap
Stats on number of people planning to change jobs
65% of professionals are responding to uncertainty by making plans to apply and take interviews for new opportunities in 2025. - 5 Feb 2025, Robert Walters’ Salary Survey
More than half the world's employees (52%) were watching for or actively seeking a new job in 2023. - 1 Jun 2024, Gallup
53% of global employees in 2022 said now is a good time to find a job where they live. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
51% of currently employed global workers said they are watching for or actively seeking a new job. - 1 Jun 2023, Gallup
1 in 5 people globally have left their jobs or plan to do so within the next 6 months. - 12 Aug 2021, Edelman
Stats on number of jobs in a lifetime
There is driving demand for roles such as renewable energy engineers, environmental engineers and electric and autonomous vehicle specialists, all among the 15 fastest-growing jobs. - 4 Feb 2025, World Economic Forum
On average, workers can expect that two-fifths (39%) of their existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated over the 2025-2030 period. - 4 Feb 2025, World Economic Forum
Professionals entering the workforce today are on pace to hold twice as many jobs over their careers compared to 15 years ago. - 1 Jan 2025, LinkedIn
More than 10% of professionals hired today have job titles that didn’t even exist in 2000 — and in the US, the figure’s even higher at 20%. - 1 Jan 2025, LinkedIn
Artificial intelligence is set to affect nearly 40% of all jobs, 60% in advanced economies and 26% in low income countries. - 14 Jan 2024, IMF
The skill sets required for our jobs will change by up to 65% by 2030. - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
More than half of women (55%) and men (54%) around the world will see their jobs disrupted or augmented by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
Professionals in Technology, Information and Media (71%), Retail (71%), Wholesale (68%), Financial Services (66%), and Professional Services (64%) are the most likely to see their roles disrupted or augmented by Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI). - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
Both men and women feel equally overwhelmed (39%) by the amount of change AI may bring to their jobs in the future. - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
Two-thirds of professionals believe that AI will change the way they work within the next year. - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
55% of LinkedIn members globally stand to see their jobs change to some degree by the rise of generative AI. - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
47% of professionals globally believe that AI will help them move their careers forward by providing faster access to knowledge and insights. - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
More than half of LinkedIn members hold jobs that stand to be disrupted or augmented by AI. - 1 Nov 2023, LinkedIn
Artificial intelligence (AI) could replace the equivalent of 300 million full-time jobs, but may also mean new jobs and a productivity boom. - 5 Apr 2023, Goldman Sachs
Artificial intelligence's (AI) impact on job roles will vary across different sectors - 46% of tasks in administrative and 44% in legal professions could be automated but only 6% in construction and 4% in maintenance. - 5 Apr 2023, Goldman Sachs
One in 16 workers (100 million across the eight studied economies) may have to switch occupations by 2030. - 23 Jan 2023, Mckinsey & Company
Stats on why people make a career change
Half of employers plan to re-orient their business in response to AI, two-thirds plan to hire talent with specific AI skills, while 40% anticipate reducing their workforce where AI can automate tasks. - 4 Feb 2025, World Economic Forum
By 2030, 70% of the skills used in most jobs will change, with AI emerging as a catalyst. - 1 Jan 2025, LinkedIn
59% of people surveyed left their jobs to find a better values fit, nearly twice as high as for reasons of finding better compensation or career advancement (31 %). 50% of people surveyed have a lifestyle aspect in their desire to change jobs (50 percent). - 12 Aug 2021, Edelman
Stats on what the blockers are to making a career change
70% of people are looking for personal support to help them to make a shift. - 12 Jan 2017, Careershifters
52% of people contemplating a career shift are holding back from pursuing fulfilling careers due to fear of the ‘unknown’, and 43% are afraid of failure. - 12 Jan 2017, Careershifters
Financial concerns hold back almost 7 in 10 would-be career-changers. - 12 Jan 2017, Careershifters
Almost half of those who want to shift careers are uncertain of what else they can do (49%) or where to start (47%). - 12 Jan 2017, Careershifters