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Workers in the hospitality and food services industry are the least loyal, while Gen Z and Millennials lead the trend in job hopping.
A recent study showed that over half of Hong Kong workers are considering a job change in 2025. Similarly, six in 10 US workers want a new job in 2025.
As attracting and retaining talent has become more challenging, experts at GIGAcalculator have identified the industries and age groups with the highest rates of job hopping, providing insights for leaders to stay competitive in the increasingly fierce talent market.
*While the data was collected from the US, HRO believes the results are relevant to our readership in Asia.
According to the results, the hospitality and food services industry has the highest number of job hoppers, with 34% of workers unlikely to stay with their employer long-term. Irregular working hours and relatively low wages – averaging around $36,000 per year – were cited as the contributing factors. [all currencies in US$]
This is followed by the arts, entertainment and recreation sector, where 26.29% of the workforce considered changing jobs; and the wholesale and retail trade industry, with one-fourth (25.06%) of employees changing jobs within a year.
Rounding off the top five are the publishing and media industry, and human resources, with 21.35% and 21.23% of job hoppers, respectively.
The industries with the least (and most) loyal employees:
|
Rank |
Industry |
Median years of tenure with current employer (as of 2024) |
% of job hoppers |
|
1 |
Hospitality & food services |
2.1 |
34.01% |
|
2 |
Arts, entertainment & recreation |
2.7 |
26.29% |
|
3 |
Wholesale & retail trade |
3.1 |
25.06% |
|
4 |
Publishing & media |
3.9 |
21.35% |
|
5 |
Human resources |
3.4 |
21.23% |
|
6 |
Construction |
4.2 |
21.08% |
|
7 |
Marketing & PR |
3.5 |
20.84% |
|
8 |
Healthcare |
3.5 |
20.75% |
|
9 |
Transportation |
3.4 |
20.49% |
|
10= |
Agriculture, forestry, fishing & hunting |
4.4 |
20.35% |
|
10= |
Mining, quarrying, oil & gas extraction |
5.7 |
20.35% |
|
12 |
Education |
4.0 |
19.88% |
|
13 |
Manufacturing |
4.9 |
19.79% |
|
14 |
Science, IT & technology |
5.2 |
19.71% |
|
15 |
Utilities & energy |
4.9 |
19.60% |
|
16 |
Banking & finance |
4.8 |
18.91% |
|
17 |
Public administration |
6.2 |
18.04% |
|
18 |
Property & real estate |
4.0 |
17.98% |
|
19 |
Legal services |
3.5 |
17.51% |
Analysed by age, Gen Z and Millennials lead the trend in job hopping.
A striking 70.3% of 16- to 19-year-olds are likely to change jobs frequently, which can be attributed to the part-time nature of early employment.
Meanwhile, 48.3% of those aged 20 to 24 are quick to move on in their careers, along with 28.1% of 25 to 34-year-olds.
In contrast, older age groups show far greater career stability. Workers aged 35 to 44 have a markedly lower job-hopping rate of 17.5%, dropping to just 12.6% for those aged 45 to 54.
This highlighted a clear shift in career attitudes: younger generations prioritise flexibility and rapid growth, while older workers value consistency and long-term commitment.
The age groups with the most job hoppers
|
Age groups |
% of workers with <12 months with current employer |
|
16 to 19 years |
70.3 |
|
20 to 24 years |
48.3 |
|
25 to 34 years |
28.1 |
|
35 to 44 years |
17.5 |
|
45 to 54 years |
12.6 |
|
55 to 64 years |
9.6 |
|
65 years and over |
10.5 |
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