Will 2025 Welcome in a Hiring Boom?

It looks to be a happy new year for employers and job seekers alike as more companies share their significant 2025 hiring plans.

Nearly 65% of companies plan to hire new permanent employees in the new year, according to a recent report, a meaningful increase from just six months prior. These statistics showcase notable optimism and growth plans for a number of U.S. businesses.

Why the hiring plans?

Companies report plans for company and department growth, the need for assistance with new projects and initiatives, and the need to fill open positions. All of this will be welcome news to many current employees who report feeling burned out by overwork and high workplace demands. Likewise, businesses that lack ample staff for their initiatives face delays in completion of work and lower productivity numbers, providing further fodder for hiring in 2025.

To put hiring plans into action, companies of all sizes should get organized and ready to roll in 2025.

The best employees are seeking a solid paycheck as well as training and mentorship programs and flexible work schedules. Companies should also focus on retaining the top talent that they already have via career growth and development opportunities and ongoing employee perks.

Companies across industries and sectors largely reported a sense of optimism as they gear up for new hires in the new year, providing all-around good news and good cheer for businesses and employees.

Is the Great Resignation 2.0 on the Horizon?

The Great Resignation period of the pandemic was only a few years ago, but we might already be seeing the headwinds of the Great Resignation 2.0 as more overworked and underwhelmed employees considering resigning. More and more workers are reporting feeling overworked and underpaid, overtasked and underappreciated.

Nearly 30% of employees plan to make a job change in the near future, according to a recent PwC report on the global workforce, topping the 19% who gave the same response just two years ago.

Should I stay or should I go?

Employees today note an increased workload, feeling underpaid for their work, the demands and pace of new technology and the desire for something else as top reasons for a potential resignation. Likewise, more workers believe that they need time to manage their personal life and goals and are willing to resign to achieve a better work-life balance.

These trends are not just happening in the United States but are taking shape across the globe, particularly in Europe where companies are also facing increased worker shortages and resignations.

How companies can respond

Companies that place a premium on worker wellness and flexibility will be the winners in the Great Resignation 2.0. In addition, workers want regular training and education on new technology that can improve their skill sets, overall productivity and work quality, with the aim of bolstering salaries. Employees want to be seen and heard in the workplace – or they will leave for another opportunity.

Managers can also help employees who are struggling with current workloads, and mentorship programs are especially valuable.

While many companies across the globe are trying to do more with less, the companies that focus on employees may come out ahead when it comes to worker longevity and productivity.

Half of U.S. Workers Want to Change Jobs

Take this job and shove it? That is the message coming from the latest LinkedIn’s Workforce Confidence Index, which revealed that nearly half of U.S. workers are looking for a job change in 2024.

According to the recent report, workers in retail and hospitality top the list of those who will be updating their resumes and applying for new jobs this year. Many plan to make a move in order to earn a larger paycheck.

The rest of the top 10 list includes: administrative and support services, arts and rec, technology, information and media, transportation, logistics, supply chain and storage, financial services, education, professional services and consumer services. Workers who are satisfied with their pay grade and expecting a raise in the next six months are less likely to make a job shift.

About 44 percent of educators in the United States—the 8th top industry looking for a job change—will look for a new position this year and only one-third of them anticipate a pay raise in the next six months, coming in at the lowest rate for all industries surveyed in the index.

Employers in all industries should be looking out for workers who plan to leave—and welcoming new employees with open arms.