Half of UK Workers Plan to Change Jobs This Year, Robert Half Survey Finds
The News
More than half (53%) of UK professionals plan to look for, or have already started searching for, a new job before the end of 2026, according to a survey of 1,000 UK adults by recruitment agency Robert Half. The figure includes 35% who intend to start looking and 18% already actively searching. Better work-life balance was the most common reason (38%), followed by limited career advancement (35%) and better benefits (34%). Despite the appetite to move, 92% said job security was extremely or very important. The CIPD's Charles Cotton warned employers not to lose sight of retention even in a subdued labour market, noting that conditions will eventually improve and employees will have more options.
Why It Matters
The finding complicates a narrative many TA leaders have been comforted by: that a cool labour market means low turnover risk. Robert Half's data suggests pent-up departure intention — people who stayed put through uncertainty but are now preparing to move. The drivers are precisely the things TA teams are worst at influencing: workload management, visible career progression, and autonomy. If even a fraction of the 53% act on their intention in the next four months, internal mobility pipelines and retention metrics that have looked stable through 2026 will come under sudden pressure — particularly for the mid-career professionals who form the backbone of most organisations.
Taking Action
All action is situated in your corporate context. These are starting points, not prescriptions — choose what fits.
Connect
Who to talk with in your enterprise
Your head of internal mobility: review whether your internal posting rates and promotion velocity actually match what candidates are being told about career progression during the hiring process. A gap between the promise and the reality is the fastest way to lose first-year hires. Your head of total rewards: benchmark whether your benefits communication is competitive against the 34% who cite benefits as a primary reason to leave.
Inspect
What to take a closer look at
Compare your 2026 year-to-date voluntary turnover rate against the same period in 2025. If the rate is flat or declining while this survey suggests rising departure intent, you may be seeing 'job hugging' — dissatisfied workers deferring moves, not contented ones staying. Check the tenure distribution of recent leavers: if mid-career professionals are disproportionately represented, the pent-up turnover thesis is already playing out in your data.
Reflect
What to think about more deeply
If half your workforce is quietly preparing to leave, is your retention strategy designed to keep them — or just lucky that the market hasn't given them the chance yet?