Why more Canadian workers are motivated to find new jobs in an uncertain economy

Forty-two per cent of employed Canadians are already looking or plan to look for a new job in 2024, a new survey by Robert Half found.

Despite a time of economic uncertainty and a stagnant labour market, many Canadians are looking for a new job.

The largest motivating factor? Salary.

That’s according to survey results released by business consulting firm Robert Half Tuesday that found even with 2024 just a month-and-a-half in, 42 per cent of workers are already looking or planning to start their search for a new job or career in the first half of the year.

The percentage of job-seekers in the latest survey is up from 41 per cent in July 2023, though the company noted it’s still down from 50 per cent in December 2022. The survey involved 765 workers 18 and older from multiple professions at companies with 20 or more employees across Canada and was conducted from Oct. 27 to Nov. 17, 2023.

Robert Half senior regional director Mike Shekhtman said with a shift into a post-pandemic job market, it’s changed how Canadians see their employment.

“As things have started to normalize, people have started putting their careers back on the rails and thinking to themselves, ‘what is my path within the company?’ And if they don’t see it, it is becoming a more of a motivator in making a move as we enter 2024,” he told Global News.

The latest Canadian job numbers will be released Friday morning. RBC forecasts January’s unemployment rate to hit 5.9 per cent, a slight rise from 5.8 in December but the highest it’s been since the COVID-19 pandemic. It also expects to see the economy add 10,000 positions for the month of January.

Those Canadians seeking a job, though, are likely to face some competition after 2023 saw an increase in layoffs combined with fewer job postings — effectively putting some of the balance of power back onto employers.