With the unemployment rate dwindling to less than 6 percent of the country – 5.5 percent in February, according to official numbers from the Labor Department – the U.S. economy seems to be getting back on its feet. Added hiring has breathed new life into the country's financial system and Americans have responded by resuming their searches for work.
However, even for those who have long had a job and are content with where they are, the improving economic climate will find many full-time workers seeing what else is out there in 2015, the results of a new survey suggest.
Approximately 50 percent of Americans with jobs this year intend to look for something different at some point over the remaining months of 2015, according to a recent poll from personal finance website CreditDonkey.com. This is despite the fact that nearly 70 percent of the same respondents reported being satisfied with their employment.
A major function in the life of a business owner is seeing to it that their workers are pleased with where they are, or at the very least comfortable in knowing that they'll be able to advance to another position that improves their status within a company. Retention is particularly important for staffs that have highly qualified employees, as experience and expertise are often crucial to fulfilling key job titles.
It's with this in mind that polls like these may bring managers pause. Especially considering that, according to the survey, more than half of employed individuals looking for a new job – 54 percent – think their current one is interesting and close to 60 percent say its secure.
Employees' search for meaning
What's driving employed individuals to look for new office confines? It may boil down to wanting a profession that's meaningful. Nearly two-thirds of employed respondents said their job had meaning and significance, the CreditDonkey.com survey revealed. However, when confined to only those full-time workers who planned on seeking what their options were, just 48 percent said their position was consequential.
A separate study conducted by recruitment firm Accountemps may provide more clarity as to what workers really want out of their professions in 2015. Employee benefits may be the answer. Of the 2,100 individuals interviewed, more than 1 in 4 said a better benefit plan. Just ahead of improved health care was more vacation days at 30 percent.
Bill Driscoll, Accountemps district president, noted that personal time off is a precious commodity that can't be quantified in terms of how important it is.
"You can't underestimate the importance of time away from work," said Driscoll. "Managers can set a good example by taking time off themselves and not checking in when they're on vacation."
He added that company managers should be sure to persuade their workers to take advantage of the vacation days they've accrued, noting that getting away from the office is good both for the mind and body, enabling employees to recharge their batteries so that they can accomplish their 9-to-5 routines more seamlessly.
