Canadian millennials are so dissatisfied with their jobs that more than half want to change course this year, according to a survey from human resources firm ADP Canada.
Fifty-five per cent of millennial respondents, aged 18 to 34, said they want a career change this year, be it a new job, starting a business or going back to school.
Among other age groups, 31 per cent said they want a career change this year. That wanderlust is making it difficult for businesses to retain talent, ADP said.
“Canadian workers are restless, particularly millennials, and this makes a strong case for investing in a great employer brand, built on culture, opportunity and leadership," Virginia Brailey, vice-president of marketing and strategy at ADP, said in a statement.
"HR teams are under tremendous pressure to keep the right people in the right jobs and to build a strong funnel of talent so they can respond to changing business needs."
Among all respondents, 27 per cent said they would like to find a new job, while 11 per cent said they want to start their own business and 10 per cent said they would like to go back to school.
Brailey added the survey shows “a diversity of ambitions around looking for more money, more responsibility, more training and greater flexibility around how work is done."
Fifteen per cent said they would like more flexible hours, while 8 per cent said they hoped to be able to work remotely.
Millennials’ desire to find new work may simply stem from the fact that younger demographics are more ambitious.
Among those aged 18 to 44, nearly half (46 per cent) are focused on career-building activities, such as getting a raise, taking on more responsibility or getting a promotion, the survey found.
Among those aged 45 and up, only 26 per cent are focused on career-building activities, they survey found.