New data suggests that job insecurity and limited development opportunities are keenly felt across the UK workforce as almost one in four workers are planning to leave their jobs in the short term.
Research from employee experience management platform Culture Amp shows that 24% of UK employees intend to leave their roles within the next 12 months. A further 14% expect to seek new employment within two years, extending attrition risk through to 2027. The findings indicate that uncertainty around progression is increasingly shaping how employees assess their wellbeing at work.
The data draws on Culture Amp’s analysis of 1.4 billion responses from 97 million surveys across 8,200 global organisations, including 816 based in the UK. While the figures highlight domestic concerns, similar patterns are emerging internationally. Germany records the highest short-term attrition risk, with 25% of employees planning to resign within a year, while the United States shows greater long-term stability, with nine percent intending to change employers by 2027.
Globally, 20% of employees plan to leave within the next 12 months. Career growth is cited by 41% as the primary reason for leaving, followed by work-life balance at 12% and compensation and benefits at 10%.
Career Growth and Psychological Wellbeing at Work
Across generations, the desire for progression remains consistent. Gen Z employees identify career growth as their main reason for leaving at 24%, with a change of career following at 17 percent. Among Millennials, 28% cite career advancement as the leading factor, alongside compensation and benefits at 14% and work-life balance at 11%.
Gen X employees report similar priorities, with 25% leaving in pursuit of growth, followed by work-life balance at 13% and compensation and benefits at 12%. For many employees, the absence of visible pathways appears to contribute to disengagement and reduced confidence in long-term stability at work.
Boomers present a different pattern. Personal reasons account for 27% of departures, likely reflecting retirement or scaling back work, followed by work-life balance at 16% and career growth at 13%. These differences underline the need for wellbeing strategies that reflect varied life stages and motivations.
“Employee growth has been a consistent factor in intent to stay, and in this challenging macro-economic climate when organisations are looking to run as lean as possible; development and opportunity are not always top of companies’ minds,” says Jessica Brannigan, head of enterprise people science, EMEA at Culture Amp.
Retention Pressure in a Constrained Economic Climate
“When employees across the UK are not satisfied by development opportunities on offer, organisations must consider how to engage and challenge top talent, without allowing stasis or complacency to creep in,” Brannigan adds.
Justin Angsuwat, Chief People Officer at Culture Amp, says, “As we head into 2026, there are interesting signals we need to grapple with. In Germany and the UK in particular, the short-term attrition risk levels should make leadership teams pause.”
He notes that employees who feel they are developing are significantly more likely to become high performers a year later, yet many organisations still view internal mobility as optional rather than essential. “If we want people to stay, we need to make growth feel real, even when promotions are tight,” he says.
Angsuwat adds that managers play a critical role in translating development into day-to-day wellbeing. “What this means is managers who can coach and develop employees more frequently are going to lead more successful teams. And leaders who can stabilise workloads, create clarity and pathways for growth will come out on top in 2026.”