Why More Than Half of Canadian Workers Want to (or Will) Change Jobs in 2025

In today’s competitive job market, organizations pay close attention to employee engagement, satisfaction, and fulfillment – key factors influencing retention and turnover. With job-hopping on the rise, understanding what motivates employees to stay or leave is more important than ever.

According to Aon’s 2025 Employee Sentiment Study, compensation and workplace flexibility are two key reasons to watch. And if you look at how many employees are considering changing jobs, you’ll see that almost 60% of them are either seeking a new opportunity or moving employers – a considerable red flag for Canadian HR managers and business leaders.

Let’s dive into the data behind these trends.

The 2025 Employee Sentiment Study surveyed over 9,000 employed professionals worldwide (503 in Canada) about their salaries, benefits, job search behaviours, and workplace conditions. The findings revealed that 57% of Canadian employees are either in the process of moving employers or might / will seek new employment in the next 12 months. This proportion is similar to the one verified globally, with 60% of global workers in the same position.

Some key factors play a role in this trend. According to the survey, the top 5 most influential characteristics in a workplace attracting Canadian employees today are (by % of respondents):

• Provides better than average pay and meaningful benefits – 60%
• Offers flexible working – 30%
• Is a fun place to work – 23%
• Provides stimulating work – 21%
• Provides valuable career and / or development opportunities – 19%

Those numbers show us that pay and benefits are by far the most significant reason behind an employee seeking a new role, with a flexible workplace arrangement in a solid second place. Reinforcing this trend, Aon shows that more than half of Canadian workers (52%) are willing to sacrifice their existing employee benefits for the chance of getting a better package.

Wellbeing and mental health are also relevant factors for workers in Canada. According to Aon’s study, 45% of Canadian respondents say employers should support employee wellbeing, while 22% feel undervalued. In terms of wellbeing, only 9% of Canadian employees say they’re “thriving,” while 56% say they feel either “balanced,” “coping,” or “struggling” in the workplace.

“These needs highlight where employees want more, and employers can potentially do more,” states the report. “Canadian employers must prioritize personalized benefits, financial support, skills development and wellbeing initiatives to meet employee expectations and retain talent in a competitive job market.”

Compensation and benefits are clearly pivotal in attracting and retaining top talent. But beyond remuneration, how can businesses become more attractive to potential and current employees without escalating costs?

To Lambros Lambrou, Aon’s CEO, Human Capital, the answer lies in understanding the deeper dynamics of workforce engagement, total rewards and optimization. “This is not about simply adding new programs – it’s about ensuring your existing resources work effectively for both your people and your organization,” says Lambrou.

With over half of Canadian workers considering a job change in 2025, employers must prioritize competitive pay, flexibility, and wellbeing to retain talent. Beyond raising salaries, HR can focus on optimizing existing resources by enhancing total rewards, career development, and workplace culture. Organizations proactively addressing these expectations will be better positioned to attract, engage, and keep top talent in today’s competitive job market.
As part of this strategy, you should consider outplacement services, ensuring individuals are supported in a layoff. When you partner with a modern outplacement provider like Careerminds, your departing employees will have access to personalized coaching sessions, resume optimization, and other services that will help them to find their next role, while improving your company’s reputation at the same time. Contact our experts and learn more about Careerminds!

Rafael Spuldar

Rafael is a content writer, editor, and strategist with over 20 years of experience working with digital media, marketing agencies, and Tech companies. He started his career as a journalist: his past jobs included some of the world's most renowned media organizations, such as the BBC and Thomson Reuters. After shifting into content marketing, he specialized in B2B content, mainly in the Tech and SaaS industries. In this field, Rafael could leverage his previously acquired skills (as an interviewer, fact-checker, and copy editor) to create compelling, valuable, and performing content pieces for various companies. Rafael is into cinema, music, literature, food, wine, and sports (mainly soccer, tennis, and NBA).