More Canadian workers staying put — for now: survey

Most workers plan to stay put in their current roles—at least for now.

In fact, just 26 per cent of Canadian professionals plan to look for a new job in the second half of 2025. That number is down from 38 per cent six months ago, according to a survey.

Those planning to stay in their current positions cite the following reasons:

• They value their current level of flexibility and do not want to risk losing it (36 per cent)

• They are being well compensated (30 per cent)

• They have a positive company culture and relationship with their manager (29 per cent)

• They feel professionally fulfilled in their current role (27 per cent)

Many Canadian employers are exercising caution when it comes to their hiring plans for the rest of this year, according to a previous Express Employment Professionals report.

Why do people want to change jobs?

Despite the desire to stay at the moment, 40 per cent of workers say that while they are not actively looking, they are open to new opportunities, according to Robert Half’s survey of more than 1,500 professionals aged 18 and over across Canada, conducted in April.

Better benefits and perks rank as the highest motivator for workers exploring new roles (39 per cent), followed by higher pay and more opportunities for career advancement, both at 38 per cent.

"Professionals are more carefully considering their options in the current environment, and many secured favourable flexible options and salaries over the last few years that they're not willing to give up easily," says Koula Vasilopoulos, senior managing director, Robert Half, Canada. "With fewer workers actively pursuing new jobs, employers need to take strategic approaches to attract skilled talent for critical roles, with appealing offerings that focus on total compensation, flexibility, career pathing, and positive workplace culture."

Over nine in ten (91 per cent) professionals considering a career move are interested in changing industries, with the main reasons being their desire to:

• earn a higher salary (64 per cent)

• improve their work-life balance (52 per cent)

• find more fulfilling work (41 per cent)

• access better career advancement opportunities (39 per cent)

Additionally, more than 7 in 10 job seekers are interested in leaving their permanent job to pursue contract work. The top motivators of a career in contracting are higher earning potential (49%), greater variety of work (40%), and improved work-life balance (39%).

Recently, Ontario launched a new resource to help jobseekers connect with in-demand jobs in the province.

Effective ways to retain employees

Here are the things that employers can do to ensure that their workers stay and, at the same time, attract candidates, as experts shared in a World Economic Forum article:

1. Include employees in decision-making. “The best partnerships ultimately are those that are built on a foundation of respect and [when] companies see the value of their front line workers,” says Liz Shuler, President of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO).

2. Give workers freedom in the way they work. “For macro trends shaping the labour force, we are going to continue to see a big push towards more flexible jobs,” says Luana Ozemela, Chief Sustainability Officer at iFood. “People value freedom. People value autonomy. It's an irreversible trend. We are going to see people really wanting better jobs that also can keep the flexibility.”

3. Inspire confidence in reskilling. “They feel that they're not quite keeping up with the level of AI literacy that they need,” says Amit Sevak, Chief Executive Officer of the Educational Testing Service. “There's an opportunity to help bridge some of those gaps.”

Focus on employability. “Protect the employability of people, not their job,” says Christophe Catoir, President of HR provider and temporary staffing firm Adecco, says. “The job will change [and] that employability will be key.”