Economic Hardships Pushing Workers to Search for New Jobs

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magnifying glass on red jobs wordAccording to a recent global poll from Monster.com, more than half of participants said they’re trying to switch careers because of national or global economic troubles. A third (33%) of all respondents reported they would maybe switch careers due to the global economic hardships while a mere 14 percent said their career was unaffected by the economy.

“It’s certainly wise to take broad economic trends into account when planning your career, but you want to be careful not to chase trendy jobs blindly,” Mary Ellen Slayter, career advice expert for Monster.com, said. “Information about economic trends can help you keep your expectations in check, which is especially important if you’re planning to return to school on borrowed money to pursue a new career. The best way to counteract the hype surrounding ‘hot jobs’ is careful research – and you will have to do it on your own, ideally by talking with people who actually do the job that may interest you.”

Monster.com asked its site’s visitors, “Are national or global economic troubles causing you to consider a complete career change?” The question received more than 3,400 responses.

Total international findings included:

  • Yes, I am trying to switch my career – 53%
  • Maybe, if I can find a better career – 33%
  • No, my career is not impacted by economic troubles – 14%

The poll results also revealed wide differences from country to country. A little over half (54%) of Canadian respondents reported that they are trying to switch careers, compared to around 22 percent of German respondents. The highest number of respondents trying to switch careers were from the UK (61%), the U.S. (57%) and France (51%).

By Shala Marks