PwC Survey: Even Though the Great Resignation is Over, Workers Still Want to Quit

By Pavithra Mohan, Fast Company (TNS)

Over the past year, many experts have declared that the Great Resignation is finally over—including the very professor who coined the term. As the era of workers quitting their jobs en masse has come to an end, experts believe the workforce has entered a period of relative stability—dubbed the Big Stay!—with workers seemingly more hesitant to rock the boat and leave their jobs. The data has supported this sentiment, as well: In 2023, the rate of workers quitting their jobs dropped by 12% compared to the year prior, according to the Labor Department.

But a new survey by accounting and consulting firm PwC indicates that some workers are still looking for greener pastures—even more so than when the Great Resignation was at its peak. Of the 56,000 respondents who were surveyed across 50 countries, about 28% said they were “very likely” or “extremely likely” to find a new job within the next 12 months, up from 19% in 2022.

Burnout at Work

That sentiment might be explained by mounting demands in the workplace and the impact of new technologies, which many respondents said had changed the nature of their jobs over the last year. Nearly half the workers surveyed said their workload had “significantly increased” and that they had to learn how to use new tools or technology in order to continue doing their jobs. More than half the respondents expressed concern over how quickly work was changing, while 62% said they had seen more change in the last year as compared to the 12 months prior.

The Role of AI

At the same time, some workers seemed optimistic about the rise of generative AI and its potential to make them more productive. About 62% of workers said they felt generative AI could “increase efficiencies” in the workplace. That finding was also in line with the share of CEOs (64%) who believed AI could boost efficiency. While they recognized the potential pitfalls of adopting generative AI more broadly, the vast majority of workers—more than 70%—seem to think it will be a tool for not only learning new skills, but also enabling more creativity at work.

In fact, upskilling seemed to be another significant factor in the decision to stay put or leave a job. Of the respondents who said they were likely to find a new job within the next year, 67% said “the opportunity to learn new skills” would be a driving force behind that decision.

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