40 per cent of workers frequently think about quitting

Two-thirds willing to relocate for the right job: Survey

With expectations for an improving economy, many Canadian workers are thinking of looking for new jobs next year, according to the Kelly Global Workforce Index.

Forty per cent of Canadian workers surveyed said they frequently think about quitting their jobs, compared with 32 per cent in the Americas and 39 per cent globally.

"An improving economy creates a greater feeling of optimism and a growing desire for many people to seek out new opportunities," said Kristin Supancich, vice-president for Kelly Services.

"More than 80 per cent of our survey respondents say they consider salary, benefits and other financial incentives as important factors that make an employer attractive, while approximately two-thirds also mention work-life balance, opportunities for advancement and training/development programs as key. Employers who want to retain their current employees as well as attract new hires need to evaluate how their organizations compare with competitors in these critical areas."

Highlights from the survey of about 230,000 people including 12,000 in Canada:

•Canadian workers are more inclined to search for jobs via social media (42 per cent), compared with their counterparts in the Americas (34 per cent) and globally (36 per cent).

•76 per cent of Canadian workers cite social media websites as their preferred method of networking, compared with 70 per cent in the Americas and 71 per cent globally.

•66 per cent of Canadian respondents are willing to relocate for the right job.

•Among those who expressed dissatisfaction with the process of their most recent application for a job, 64 per cent of Canadians cited the lack of clear communications as a primary reason.

•53 per cent indicated that their current employer had a planned approach to assimilate them into the organization once they were hired.

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