Half of US Workers Ready to Seek Another Job

In these uncertain times, not only is it good to get out while the going’s good, it’s also good to get out when things aren’t so good as evidenced in a survey of American workers conducted by insurance company Aflac.

After several years of recession and subsequent slow economic growth, 49 percent of workers revealed they are ready to take their services elsewhere during the coming year.

Virtually all of those planning to leave for new horizons consider themselves hard workers while a solid majority also believe they are ambitious, highly educated and high achievers.

The survey should send up red flags, according to Aflac vice president of corporate services Audrey Boone Tillman, who warns employers that "their top talent has a pent-up desire to leave for what they believe to be greener pastures.”

Despite this, Tillman says that companies are slow to make changes or improvements that can keep their best workers from fleeing.

What’s most important to employees are benefit packages, with 84 percent saying that it would play a significant factor in staying or leaving. Meanwhile, 43 percent claimed stress was a major part in their decision to seek a new job while a third complained about their company’s reputation.