Workers say 43% are considering new careers this year, yet few will make the jump

Nearly half of U.S. workers say they are exploring a move into a different profession this year, driven by fears of layoffs, the rise of artificial intelligence and a search for better work-life balance, according to a new FlexJobs survey of more than 4,000 Americans conducted in early February. That appetite for change matters now because many people want out—but few are taking the leap, leaving a wide gap between intention and action that could reshape hiring and career development in 2024.

FlexJobs reports that about 43% of respondents are considering a shift in career fields. At the same time, most employees remain tethered to their current employers, uncertain about how to translate existing skills into a different role or industry.

Keith Spencer, a career expert at FlexJobs, says that clarity is the obstacle for many: workers often feel ready to leave but haven’t clearly defined the next role or how their background maps onto it, which erodes motivation and confidence.

The end of the straight career ladder

Executive coach Megan Hellerer argues that the traditional “pick-a-track-and-climb” model is fading. She points to the accelerating impact of AI as one force hastening the breakdown of linear career progression, prompting people to reconsider whether the conventional ladder is worth pursuing.

That reassessment is nudging some workers toward roles that lean on uniquely human strengths—creativity, judgment and complex problem-solving—skills that current AI tools struggle to mimic, according to Erik Brynjolfsson of Stanford’s Digital Economy Lab.

Why many hesitate to quit

Despite strong interest in change, actual exit rates have cooled from the peaks seen during the Great Resignation. Harvard Business School professor Joseph Fuller notes government data showing the monthly quit rate fell to about 2% in December, down from roughly 3% at the 2021 high point.

Fuller and other experts describe a “job hugging” or “great stay” effect: uncertainty about economic conditions and the unpredictable ways that generative AI affects higher-income, white-collar roles make employees more cautious about leaving established positions.

He warns that demand for many traditional white-collar skills is now more uncertain than it was a few years ago—a reality that shapes both worker decisions and employer planning.

Practical first steps

For those who want to change fields but feel stuck, Hellerer suggests postponing an immediate hunt for a new job and starting with curiosity instead. Rather than chasing a single “purpose,” she advises experimenting to discover what genuinely engages you.

• Curiosity campaign: Track topics you naturally read about or problems you enjoy solving.
• Low-risk experiments: Take a short course, volunteer, freelance, or do a project that tests a new direction.
• Informational interviews: Talk to people working in roles that intrigue you to learn how skills transfer.
• Skill mapping: Identify which of your current abilities are portable and which gaps need training.
• Small consistent steps: Favor momentum over certainty—build progress with manageable moves.

Hellerer calls AI a “double-edged sword”: it raises anxiety about job security while also removing some of the “safe” defaults that kept people on preset career tracks. That disruption, she says, creates an opening for workers to pursue work better suited to their distinct capabilities.

Changing careers, she emphasizes, rarely requires a dramatic break. Many transitions begin with modest experiments that gradually accumulate into a new direction.

For readers, the immediate takeaway is twofold: employers should prepare for continued interest in role changes and invest in reskilling pathways, while workers can reduce risk by testing options and building transferable skills rather than making abrupt moves under pressure.