More Than 40 Percent of U.S. Workers Plan to Change Jobs Over the Next 12 Months, According to New Yahoo! HotJobs Survey

Business Wire, Oct 20, 2005

NEW YORK -- Yahoo! HotJobs (NASDAQ:YHOO):

--Desire for Better Pay, Benefits and Career Growth Opportunities Cited as Key Drivers for Those Planning to Find New Employment

--Yahoo! HotJobs Identifies the Top 10 Cities to Live and Work -- Atlanta, Orlando and Other Warm-Weather Destinations Lead the Pack

New data from an online survey of more than 1,000 U.S. workers reveals a wide-spread desire to change jobs, according to Yahoo! HotJobs (NASDAQ:YHOO), a leader in online recruiting. The poll results indicate more than 40 percent of currently employed respondents plan to start their search for better jobs at some point within the next 12 months. And in what may come as surprise to some employers, nearly a quarter (21%) said they were already actively looking for new jobs.

"This data suggests job seekers are inclined to seek out new jobs in the coming year, and there are specific motivators behind this behavior," said Marc Karasu, Yahoo! HotJobs vice president of marketing and career expert. "Employees are sensing more opportunities and better total compensation packages, and they're making plans to go after them. Current employers should take stock of their own talent acquisition and retention models as they prepare for their staffing needs for 2006."

A Better Compensation Package is #1 Goal of Job Changers

The overwhelming majority (96 percent) of those surveyed who plan to change jobs said their decision to do so was based on a desire to secure better pay or benefits. But other factors were also motivating some workers to seek greener pastures. These include:

--44 percent said they felt there was no "potential for career growth" in their current positions

--Nearly one-in-five (18 percent) wanted a better commute

--One in four (25 percent) wanted to change jobs because they felt that they were not valued employees

--About one in four (29 percent) cited the desire to work for a company with a "higher morale" as the reason they wanted to change employers.

Heading to Warmer Climes? The Sun is Shining on -- and in -- the majority of the Top Ten Cities to Live and Work

According to Yahoo! HotJobs, there is a good chance many of the workers currently seeking better opportunities might be heading south.

Drawing on its own research and an array of raw data from sources including the U.S. Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor and Statistics, Yahoo! HotJobs has compiled a list of the top ten cities and metropolitan areas that provide the foundation for a good work and life balance. Eight out of the ten are in the southern half of the U.S.

Selections were made based on assessment of population growth, cost-of-living, access to medical facilities, average commuting times, availability of recreational activities, and other data. In alphabetical order, the top 10 cities are: Atlanta, GA; Austin, TX; New York City metro area, NY; Orlando, FL; Phoenix, AZ; Raleigh-Durham, NC; San Diego, CA; Scottsdale, AZ; Tampa, FL; and the Washington, D.C. metro area.

Yahoo! HotJobs' research also indicated that the following ten cities (in alphabetical order) are rising stars among the best places to live and work. Something they all share in common is an abundance of job opportunities and good access to recreation and health care facilities: Albuquerque, NM; Chandler, AZ; Colorado Springs, CO; Gilbert, AZ; Henderson, NV; Las Vegas, NV; McAllen, TX; Provo, UT; Rancho-Cucamonga, CA; and West Palm Beach, FL.

About the Yahoo! HotJobs Top 10 Cities Index

Data for determining the Top 10 U.S. Cities to Live and Work and the Top 10 Up-And-Coming Cities were pulled from the following sources: US Census Bureau estimates from 2000, as well as projections for 2003 and 2004, with the latest estimates for population at the city and metro-area level; Cost-of-living data, travel times, population growth data and health data from research firms such as Sperling's Best Places and the US Census Bureau; Bureau of Labor Statistics for employment and unemployment data; FORTUNE 1000 lists for corporate headquarters locations; official city and state websites for recreational data, demographic data by city and metro area, medical and healthcare data, educational data and employment data; Realtor.com and HomeFair city reports for cost-of-living and housing costs; Intel's "Top 100 Most Unwired Cities" for wireless ranking data; "The Rise of the Creative Class" by Richard Florida for creativity index data; rankings from CNN Money Magazine, Sperling's, the Milken Institute, and Inc.com.

About Yahoo! HotJobs

As a leader in the online recruiting industry, Yahoo! HotJobs (www.hotjobs.com) has revolutionized the way people manage their careers and the way companies hire talent. Yahoo! HotJobs' tools and advice put job seekers in control of their careers and make it easier and more cost-effective for employers and staffing firms to find qualified candidates. In addition to its popular consumer job board, Yahoo! HotJobs provides employers, recruiters, and staffing agencies with progressive recruiting solutions.