21 Job Hopping Statistics To Help You Plan For 2024


Job Hopping Statistics

We know what you’re thinking: “I need some statistics about job hopping!”

And we’re here to help.

The problem is there are so many sources out there that it can be hard to find the exact information you need. You might need a few stats that include the number of people who have left their jobs in the last year, or maybe you want something more specific, like how many people are looking for new jobs or have found new ones. And then there’s the whole issue of what kind of data is being collected and where in the world it’s coming from (the US? Canada? Australia?).

If this sounds familiar to you, don’t worry—we’ve got your back! We’ve compiled a list of job hopping statistics that will get you up-to-date on everything from the reasons behind job hopping to how often people are switching jobs these days (hint: more than ever).

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Job Hopping Statistics (The Highlights)

  • As of September 2022, the wages of job hoppers increased by 15.7%.
  • 60% of employees who switched jobs post-COVID saw a real increase in earnings.
  • Vice presidents, CEOs, and C-suite job hoppers report a 30% pay raise after changing jobs.
  • 29% of the US workforce is actively seeking a new job.
  • Only 16% of large companies would hire job hoppers.
  • 34% of employees who leave their job find another one within a month.
  • Women’s average job tenure is around 10% lower than men’s.
  • 25% of Gen Zers intend to leave their current employer.

General Job Hopping Statistics

1. As of September 2022, the wages of job hoppers increased by 15.7% YoY.

Changing your employer is one of the ways to get a pay bump. However, data says this progress promised by job hopping is losing momentum. In fact, in June 2022, the average wage of job hoppers peaked at a total growth of 16.4% but then dropped to 16.2% in August and again in September to 15.7%.

On the other hand, data shows that the annual pay of employees who stayed with their employer in September 2022 rose by 7.8%. In the previous month, the median wage growth of these employees was 7.7%.

(ADP Research Institute)

 

2. 64% of professionals believe changing jobs every few years is beneficial.

The above figure has increased by 22% compared to four years ago. And the best part of it, according to 37% of employees, is the bigger paycheck.

In addition, 28% believe job hopping will help them acquire new skills, 22% see it as a way to advance in their career, and 9% see it as a way of experiencing a new company and workplace culture.

Only 3% of job hoppers believe it looks better to have multiple employers on their resumes.

(Robert Half)

 

3. 60% of employees who switched jobs post-COVID saw a real increase in earnings over last year.

The Great Resignation is a term used to describe the massive job quitting that took place after the pandemic.

A total of 51% of employees who switched jobs from April 2020 to March 2021 reported a significant increase in their wages. The trend continued in 2022 as six out of ten employees reported getting better wages on account of it between April 2021 and March 2022.

In contrast, 54% of employees who remained with the same employer between April 2020 and March 2021 received better earnings, and the same goes for 47% of those who remained in the same position from April 2021 to March 2022.

60% of employees who switched jobs post-COVID saw a real increase in earnings.

(Pew Research Center)

 

4. Vice presidents, CEOs, and C-suite job hoppers report a 30% pay raise after changing jobs.

The Conference Board investigated 2,600 professional and office workers who had switched jobs during the pandemic and revealed that 29% reported 30% wage increases in their new role.

What’s more, data showed that C-level employees were the ones who benefited the most. Specifically, 35% of employees in senior positions who transitioned with a new employer during COVID said they are now being paid 30% more compared to what they were previously paid.

Meanwhile, just 22% of individual contributors who switched jobs saw the same income boost. However, the research also revealed that despite the fact that job hoppers snagged a solid pay increase, 62% have concerns about whether or not their wage will keep up with inflation.

(The Conference Board)

 

5. 46% of employees believe a history of job hopping will make them seem a flight risk.

44% of CFOs would not hire a candidate with a history of job hopping, while 35% believe the number of jobs a person has changed is irrelevant as long as they are the right fit.

The majority of employees agree that a history of job hopping would make them a less reliable candidate, 23% believe it would make them seem unstable, and 12% think their work experience would be questioned because they haven’t stayed on a job long enough.

In addition, 11% believe one of the drawbacks of job hopping is that, in the eyes of potential employers, they will only seem interested in getting paid more. Another 5% say job hopping burns bridges with former employers, while 3% say they will be perceived as wanting to earn a bigger title.

(Robert Half)

 

6. 29% of the US workforce is actively seeking a new job.

Whether it’s because they want more flexibility, higher wages, or better benefits and rewards, the latest State of Work in America survey reveals nearly one-third of US employees are actively looking to switch their jobs.

Another 51% said they are not actively looking, but if the opportunity arises, they would consider accepting a new job.

Interestingly, 40% of employees who switched jobs recently are considering going back to their former employer.

(Grant Thornton)

 

7. 2.5% of US employees switch jobs every month.

From January to March 2022, around 4 million people changed jobs every month, which equals an annual turnover of around 30% of the US workforce.

Over the years, the number of workers who have been switching jobs on a monthly basis has been steadily growing from 2.2% in 2019 and 2020 to 2.3% in 2021.

(Pew Research Center)

 

8. Only 16% of large companies would hire job hoppers.

Companies with more than 1,000 employees are the least likely to hire candidates who switch jobs often, according to the latest study on job hopping. Equal 21% portions of companies with 50 to 99 and 250 to 499 employees said they would consider hiring a candidate with a history of job hopping.

Third on the list come businesses with 20 to 40 employees, 20% of which declared the same. The probability of hiring a job hopper is highest among companies with more than 500 employees, 30% of which said they will likely hire somebody who has switched jobs often.

(Robert Half)

 

9. At 29.4%, the leisure and hospitality industry has the highest job hopping rate.

The professional and business services industry ranks second with a 25.4% job switching rate, followed by the trade, transportation and utilities sector with 24.1%, and the education and health services with 20.5%.

The manufacturing and information industry rank fourth and fifth with 18.4% and 18.3%, respectively, while finance and real estate, and construction follow with 17.1% and 16%.

Other services have 15.5%, while last on the list is the resources and mining industry with just 5.1%.

The average job switching rate across industries is 22%.

(ADP Research Institute)

 

10. As of December 2021, the average YoY wage growth across industries is 8%.

The information and professional business services industries have been most generous with job hoppers, as data shows the year-over-year wage growth for the employees of these two industries was highest at 12.2%.

Finance and real estate follow with a 9.9% YoY wage increase for job switchers, while the resources and mining and manufacturing rank fourth and fifth with 8.8% and 8.7%, respectively.

The construction industry notes an increase of 7.3%, and the trade, transportation, and utilities, along with other services, both mark a 5.7% YoY wage increase.

Education and health services has 5% while the leisure and hospitality industry has the lowest at just 0.4%.

(ADP Research Institute)

 

11. 34% of employees who leave their job find another one within a month.

As of 2022, 48% of those who left a job had left the labor force altogether, and 18% remained unemployed a month after leaving.

In 2021, 32% of employees who resigned were back on a new job the following month, 51% had left the labor force or stopped looking for a job, and 17% ended up unemployed.

The percentage of monthly job switchers was lowest in the year of the pandemic when only 23% of US employees ventured and succeeded in finding a new position the following month.

(Pew Research Center)

 

The Demographics of Job Hoppers

12. On average, US workers stay with a company for 4.1 years before switching jobs.

Of those, employees between 16 and 17 and those between 18 and 19 spend 0.7 years, while the median tenure of employees aged 20 to 24 is 1.2 years.

Employees between the ages of 25 and 34 typically change jobs after around 2.8 years, those between 35 and 44 do so after 4.7 years, while employees from 45 to 54 years move to another job after an average of 6.9 years.

The highest tenure is of employees between 55 and 64, with 9.8 years on the job, and 65+ with 9.9 years.

(US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

 

13. 67% of employees with a university degree or higher believe they can benefit from job hopping.

The numbers are lower among employees with lower educational degrees, and 58% of those with a college or associate degree and 47% of those with a high school degree trust job hopping can benefit their career.

When it comes to what defines a job hopper, according to CFOs, switching six jobs within ten years defines you as a job hopper. Employees, on the other hand, believe five jobs will do the trick.

(Robert Half)

 

14. On average, women tend to stay at one firm for a 10% shorter period of time than men do. 

As of January 2022, the average American worker stays on one job for around 4.1 years. However, data also reveals that this number varies significantly based on gender, so men have an average tenure of 4.3 years while women’s is 3.9 years.

Data also shows that 28% of US male workers stayed for more than ten years with their current employer. The figure is somewhat lower among women at 26%.

(US Bureau of Labor Statistics)

 

15. In 2022, 3.1% of both Hispanic and Black US workers switched jobs on average per month.

In 2019, 2.6% of Hispanic employees and 2.5% of Blacks had transitioned from one company to another on average each month.

Asian and White employees, on the other hand, are less likely to move from one employer to another. Only 2.2% of White employees and 2.1% of Asians reported switching jobs in 2022, while the corresponding figures for 2019 stood at 2.1% and 2%, respectively.

In 2022, 3.1% of both Hispanic and Black US workers switched jobs on average per month.

(Pew Research Center)

 

16. 31% of women earn 30% higher wages because they switched jobs during the pandemic.

The same applies to 28% of men.

On the other hand, the majority of men, or 70%, received higher wages by 10% when they switched employers, while only 64% of women reported the same.

Also, more men quit their jobs for an essentially lateral compensation package than women, or 13% and 9%, respectively.

(The Conference Board)

 

17. At 22.6%, the annual job hopping rate is highest in Northeast America.

As of December 2021, the South has the second highest rate of job switchers at 22.4%, while in the West, it is 22.1%.

The average rate of job switchers in the US across all regions stands at 22%, and it’s lowest in the Midwest, at 20.9%.

(ADP Research Institute)

 

18. Job hoppers from the West coast experience the highest YoY wage growth at 9.2%

In addition, job switchers from the Northeast region of the country had a 9% YoY wage growth, while those employed in the Midwest had their wages jump by 7.2%.

Job hoppers located in the South of the country had the lowest year-over-year wage growth at 7.1%.

(ADP Research Institute)

 

19. 25% of Gen Zers intend to leave their current employer.

In contrast, only 23% of Millennials have such aspirations.

Among employees born between 1956 and 1980, or the so-called Generation X, 18% declared they hope or plan to resign from their current position, and the same applies to only 12% of Baby Boomers.

(Workforce Insights via LinkedIn)

 

20. Gen Zers spend an average of two years and three months on a job.

Millennials usually spend six months more than Gen Zers, with an average of two years and nine months.

Employees that belong to the Gen X cohort spend significantly more time in their role before they decide to switch, at an average of five years and two months.

Baby Boomers, the generation that is soon to retire from the workforce, have the highest average length of time spent in a role, at eight years and three months.

(CareerBuilder)

 

21. 80% of Generation Z employees will hop to a new job because it better aligns with their interests or values.

In addition, 76% of employees of this generation intend to switch jobs because they want more learning opportunities or a chance to acquire new skills and gain expertise, and earn better compensation and benefits.

Another 75% of Gen Zers will most likely venture into a new position because they want to try a different industry or job function.

Finally, 61% say they believe job hopping brings more opportunities for career advancement.

(Workforce Insights via LinkedIn)

 

Conclusion

To sum up, job hopping is a growing trend among employees in the United States.

While there are some risks associated with job hopping, such as burning bridges and developing a reputation as a “job hopper,” there are also several benefits, including increased skills and knowledge, greater career satisfaction, and higher earnings. And the data indicates that the benefits outweigh the risks for many people.

Still, it’s important to weigh the pros and cons carefully before making any decisions and to consult with a trusted advisor if you’re unsure about what to do.

No matter what you decide, we hope that this article has helped you better understand the current landscape of job hopping so that you can make the best possible decision for your career.

Thanks for reading!

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Sources

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