Nearly a quarter of S'pore workers intend to quit their jobs in first half of 2022: Survey

SINGAPORE — Nearly a quarter (24 per cent) of Singapore workers were planning to leave their current employer in the first half of next year, and almost half (49 per cent) were unsure if they would stay in their jobs in the next six months.

These were among the findings of a survey of 1,002 Singapore workers aged 16 to 55 commissioned by global jobs portal Indeed in early December.

The Covid-19 pandemic emerged as a key factor in workers' desire to quit, with more than 42 per cent of the respondents thinking about leaving their jobs and saying that the pandemic affected their decision.

The pandemic had led to 49 per cent of employees realising that they do not like their current job, 46 per cent pointing to increased stress levels, 44 per cent saying that there were heavier workloads, 33 per cent experiencing more burnout and 20 per cent feeling isolated.

These numbers suggested that Singapore could face a "great resignation" or a "great reshuffle" in 2022, in the same way the United States and Europe are already facing, Indeed said in a press release on Monday (Dec 20) with the survey’s findings.

This phenomenon has reportedly been seen mainly in the US where large numbers of workers have either dropped out of the workforce or moved across industries over the last two years as the Covid-19 pandemic redefined needs and demands.

A report by British news outlet BBC this month, quoting the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, stated that nearly 3 per cent of the US workforce resigned in October, following on from a record-high in September.

For Singapore to avoid this phenomenon, higher salaries, greater flexibility and opportunities for career progression have been picked by the survey respondents as the main reasons for them to want to stay in their jobs.

More than half of the workers polled, or 56 per cent, had placed higher compensation as an important factor that would encourage them to stay longer in their jobs.

Factors that would make workers stay put in their current jobs were:

• Flexible working options (56 per cent said this)
• Career progression (45 per cent)
• Appreciation from bosses (41 per cent)
• Access to good healthcare (33 per cent)
• Mental health support initiatives (30 per cent)

The survey also found that a quarter of the respondents have already moved jobs in the last year, while 20 per cent have been in their current jobs for five to six years. 

On the family aspect affecting job movement, 52 per cent of married respondents mentioned that they had the firm support of their spouses in quitting their jobs.

Having children would affect the decision of more than 60 per cent of the respondents over whether to quit within the next few months, while some 37 per cent said that it did not affect their decision.

Ms Kate Furey, Indeed’s director of corporate communications for Asia-Pacific, said that like those in most other countries, Singaporean workers have been living with "uncertainty, increased stress and other repercussions caused by the pandemic for almost two years".

"It’s affected people deeply and led to reflection on many aspects of their lives, work included," she said in the media statement.

Ms Furey added that in the long run, such a reevaluation of work "can lead to more workers in Singapore seeking a greater sense of purpose, meaning and joy in their work".

"For employers, this means they have to look beyond the surface and seek to engage with their staff to find out about their aspirations and needs, and actively initiate changes that can keep them at their jobs longer.”