canada jobs

Over 70% of Canadians want to leave their jobs in the next year

If you dream of handing in your two-week notice because you're dissatisfied with your job — you're not the only one.

A new report from recruitment firm Hays found that 71 per cent of Canadians are looking to quit their jobs within the next 12 months — the highest number the organization has ever seen. In 2022, 61 per cent of respondents said they wanted to leave their positions.

The firm warns that as the economy recovers, this trend will only get worse and managers should brace themselves for more resignations.

"As 25 per cent of the workers that answered they don't intend to leave their jobs this year, they would consider leaving when the economy and unemployment stabilize, increasing the potential leavers to 78 per cent,” reads the report.

Job-hopping has been a prevalent trend in the current economic landscape. A recent report from Indeed found that Vancouver had the highest percentage of workers who stayed at their jobs for less than a year (20.5 per cent) before moving on to another opportunity, followed by 17.5 per cent in Montreal.

In contrast, the most loyal worker-employer relationships were found in Ottawa, with 27.22 per cent of workers staying with their current company for over 10 years.

Hays' data notes that layoffs may be slowing down, as 51 per cent of organizations reported wanting to increase their headcount. This means that new job opportunities could be on the rise — making it the right opportunity for dissatisfied workers to jump ship to take on a new role.

The main reason Canadians are looking to leave their current positions is that they are "fed up," says Hays.

"From wages that haven’t really kept up with inflation to mounting stress, there’s been a noticeable rise in dissatisfaction levels among employees, especially concerning salary, job roles and benefits," reads the report.

The increasing cost of living is also putting additional employees and their financial well-being.

The survey found that 55 per cent of Canadian employees feel more stress this year compared to last year, and 46 per cent said they feel unmotivated in their current roles.

canada jobs

More Canadians than ever are looking to leave their jobs in the next year. Infographic from Hays.

Ultimately, Hays found that compensation matters the most to employees, as they're looking for better remuneration, benefits and opportunities from their employers.

The good news for employees is that some more compensation could be on the way for workers.

Hays said that 87 per cent of hiring managers anticipate implementing pay raises in the next 12 months, despite global uncertainty.

Lead photo by

Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock


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