Career Change Statistics
Up-to-date statistics on career change, fulfilment, and the future of work.
Stats on wanting greater work flexibility
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
84% of employees aren't fully engaged at work. - 1 Jul 2018, ADP Research Institute
47% pf employees feel pride working for companies where they can be themselves. 46% feel pride where they have the chance to engage in work that has a positive impact on society. 51% feel proud of their company where there is a good balance between work life balance and flexibility. - 26 Jun 2018, LinkedIn
29% of employees are most likely to say that work makes them feel cheerful most or all of the time. Only 9% say work makes them feel excited most or all of the time. - 1 Nov 2016, CIPD
23% of British people in employment regret their current choice of career. For younger workers this rises to 30% of 25 to 34-year-old's regretting their current career choice. - 18 Sep 2015, Independent / London School of Business and Finance
Only 49% of British workers say they’d be proud to tell someone about what they do for work, when meeting for the first time. - 12 Aug 2015, YouGov
37% of working British adults say their job isn't making a meaningful contribution to the world. - 12 Aug 2015, YouGov
33% of working British adults do not find their jobs personally fulfilling. - 12 Aug 2015, YouGov
Worldwide, 13% of employees are engaged at work. 24% are "actively disengaged," indicating they are unhappy and unproductive at work. - 8 Oct 2013, Gallop
49% of Australians don't think they are in the right career. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning
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 age of people making a career change
42% of the over-45's plan to change careers in the next two years. - 10 May 2018, First Direct
86% percent of professionals in their 20's are interested in changing careers. 66% of workers in their 30's and 60% of those in their 40's are interested in changing careers. - 13 Jul 2017, University of Phoenix
By the time they reach retirement age, 42% of Australians will have had three or more different careers. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning
17% of Australians didn't find their true career calling until they were over 48. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning
46% of Australians will have experienced a career change by the time they reach 30. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning
Stats on number of people wanting a career change
40% of employees in the UK are planning to change careers in the next two years. - 10 May 2018, First Direct
58% of working adults are interested in changing careers. - 13 Jul 2017, University of Phoenix
47% of individuals want to change their careers. - 18 Sep 2015, London School of Business and Finance
21% of people are hoping to change career in the next 12 months, for salary prospects, better work-life balance, and improved job satisfaction. - 18 Sep 2015, London School of Business and Finance
Stats on number of people planning to change jobs
31% of workers say they are likely to change jobs in the next year. - 7 Dec 2017, Careerbuilder
22% of Australians are planning a career change in the next 21 months. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning
Stats on what the blockers are to making a career change
81% of those interested in changing careers identify barriers to doing so. 29% percent said they can't afford to start over again; 24% don't know what new direction they would take, or lack adequate education or experience. - 13 Jul 2017, University of Phoenix
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
65% of Australians wanting to change career don't feel confident to do so. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning
Stats on wanting a better work life balance
51% of UK employees want more flexible work options. - 1 Jan 2017, Mercer
49% of UK employees want their employer to focus more on health and wellness. - 1 Jan 2017, Mercer
33% of employees say they come home from work exhausted, either often (24%) or always (9%). - 1 Nov 2016, CIPD
Stats on a good workplace culture
71% of employees feel their manager is considerate of their wellbeing, compared to 63% of employers. - 1 Nov 2016, CIPD
Stats on how people make a career change
7 in 10 employees value skills training more than degrees. - 2 Jul 2014, Glassdoor
20% of Australians that have successfully changed career, have done so through further study. - 1 Jan 2013, SEEK Learning