Millennials far more likely to quit jobs than Gen Z, bosses in survey say

The departures have been fuelled in part by a pandemic-driven sense that life is too short to get stuck is an unsatisfying job. ST PHOTO: CHONG JUN LIANG

LONDON (BLOOMBERG) - The Great Resignation has seen workers of all stripes leave their jobs. But millennials are proving particularly flighty.

About two-thirds of bosses say that generation of workers, those born between 1981 and 1996, has the highest churn rate in their companies, according to a survey of 72 executives whose businesses employ about 400,000 staff.

A third of those questioned said Gen Z staff, who are in their early to mid-20s, were the most likely to depart and just 4 per cent said Gen X, who are in their 40s and 50s, are the biggest quitters.

The past two years have highlighted "a growing disconnect between head office and their front line," said Mr Mark Williams, EMEA managing director at WorkJam, the software company that carried out the survey. "Employees don't feel heard and appreciated."

Companies across industries and countries have been battling rising turnover as workers continue to ditch their jobs in record numbers. The departures have been fuelled in part by a pandemic-driven sense that life is too short to get stuck is an unsatisfying job.

That is borne out by the survey, which suggested the most common reason for Gen Z departures was a lack of appreciation, followed by a desire for more flexibility and frustration with career progression.

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