1 in 5 Aussies changed jobs in 2021

By Jon Bragg

February 18 2022
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More Aussie workers are planning to resign from their current job in the future.

New research from NAB has found that one in five Aussies has changed jobs within the past year, and nearly one in four are considering resigning from their current employer.

The highest level of job turnover was seen for general unskilled workers of whom 37 per cent had changed jobs during the past year, while above-average turnover was also seen among labourers (29 per cent) and IT and technology workers (28 per cent).

NAB’s research indicated that about three in 10 workers who are considering changing jobs are planning to move into a new industry.

“Clearly the pandemic has shifted the expectations of Australian workers and this research suggests employers now need to work harder to retain talent,” said NAB business bank executive Julie Rynski.

“The good news though is that there are absolutely things small businesses can do to keep good people – especially since pay isn’t necessarily on the top of the list for employees.”

Many Aussies said they were being driven away from their existing job due to a lack of personal fulfilment and purpose or meaning (30 per cent), a lack of career growth (29 per cent), impact on mental health (29 per cent) and poor pay and benefits (27 per cent).

Workers also cited a poor work/life balance (23 per cent), burnout (22 per cent) and feeling like a fresh start (20 per cent) as reasons to leave their current job.

“There are a number of theories why the ‘Great Resignation’ might be happening but a heightened sense of mortality and burnout due to extra work particularly among frontline ‘essential’ workers is certainly high on the list,” said Ms Rynski.

“A strong rebound in the labour market is also giving people confidence they will find a job if they make the jump.”

Earlier this month, Treasurer Josh Frydenberg described the changes taking place in Australia’s labour market as a “great reshuffle” rather than a “great resignation”.

More than 1 million workers started a new job in the three months to November 2021, ten per cent above the pre-pandemic average.

NAB noted that Australia had previously seen “unusually low levels” of employee turnover and pointed to the most recent employee turnover data from the ABS covering the year to February 2021, which found 7.5 per cent of employed people aged 15 and above had changed jobs.

This was the lowest level of employee turnover since the ABS started tracking labour mobility in 1972 and was down from a peak of 19.5 per cent in 1988-89.

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