Half of Irish workers unhappy in their current job 

Two in five people said they would consider changing jobs this year if the right opportunity came along.

More than half of the country's workforce are no longer happy in their current job.

According to a survey, 55% of workers have fallen out of love with their job in the past 12 months — a 12% increase on last year.

Of those, 48% felt stuck in a rut while 37% said they were not being paid enough.

Two in five people (42%) said they would consider changing jobs this year if the right opportunity came along and a third say they are actively looking to move jobs this year.

The 2022 Matrix Recruitment Dream Job Survey also found a third of people left their jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Some 36% of respondents said they were unhappy in their work during Covid, while 28% claimed it didn’t provide a good work-life balance. 

Meanwhile, two-thirds of those surveyed (65%) regret not chasing their dream job and of those, almost one quarter said a lack of confidence prevented them from doing so. Of those impacted by low confidence, the overwhelming majority (83%) are women.

"Our experience supports the findings and while things are changing, it’s really disheartening to witness the apprehension still felt by many women, particularly if applying for senior roles for which they are clearly qualified," said Matrix Recruitment’s Joanne Foley.

Elsewhere, 79% of people value job satisfaction above all else.

"The pandemic caused many people to re-evaluate their life and their career. Many now value a good work-life balance and happiness over material gains and that type of insight is crucial for employers who want to attract and retain the best candidates," added Ms Foley.

The survey was conducted online in March 2022 among 835 adults working across a broad range of industries, sectors and regions.