Nearly half of U.S. workers are looking to change careers over the next year, a new survey revealed.
About 43 percent of workers are “actively” looking to switch career fields in 2026, according to the results of a FlexJobs survey released Tuesday. The company surveyed more than 4,000 workers between Feb. 2 and Feb. 16.
Despite this finding, most workers are still feeling reluctant to leave their current positions, FlexJobs career expert Keith Spencer told CNBC.
“Many people know they want to leave their current job, but haven’t fully defined the role they want or how their existing skills translate to a new field,” he said. “Without that understanding, it’s easy to lose confidence and motivation.”
About 66 percent of those surveyed said they have changed, or considered changing, career fields over the last year. Meanwhile, 79 percent of workers said they’re more likely to take a new job now than they were a year ago, the survey found.
“Workers are clearly reprioritizing job adaptability over long-term loyalty and staying open to new career opportunities, even if that means trying out a new industry,” FlexJobs career expert Toni Frana said in a statement.
More workers are open to quitting their jobs, too. The survey revealed 41 percent of workers have recently quit or are thinking about quitting their jobs, up from 33 percent last year.
Experts have said artificial intelligence could be driving people to seek new professional paths.
“The advent of AI has accelerated the collapse of linear career paths,” executive coach Megan Hellerer told CNBC. “When certainty and safety disappear, people start asking deeper questions: If the ladder isn’t secure, do I even want to be climbing it?”
Many jobs have been changed by AI, according to Erik Brynjolfsson, an economics professor at Stanford University and director of the Stanford Digital Economy Lab.
“AI is changing the ‘recipe’ of most jobs, and many workers are proactively looking for roles where they can better leverage their unique human strengths,” he told CNBC.
This survey follows a January poll by USA Today and SurveyMonkey, which revealed that nearly a quarter of American workers are struggling with work or experiencing burnout.
“Workers who are struggling or burnt out exhibit significantly lower levels of job satisfaction, morale, engagement and productivity, and are more likely to consider leaving their job,” according to the survey.
