Stress, uncertainty force youths to switch jobs

The world is changing, so are the ways of working, thinking and behaviour of the workforce. There is a change in the pattern that has been going on for years. Be it the growing trend of work from home (WFH) or the problem of maintaining a proper balance between home and work life, people are getting confused in working in the traditional style. In search of a better future, relatively new age employees with less experience are more likely to consider switching jobs frequently this year. Such a trend has come to the fore in a recent job survey conducted by LinkedIn India. The recently released report predicts that in the year 2022, around 82 per cent of the workforce is considering changing their present job. Most of them are employees who have hardly one or two years of working experience. Let me tell you that LinkedIn is a work oriented social media site that mainly focus on employment and career related issues and both job providers and job seekers are active on this website. Recently LinkedIn India has also launched its Hindi service, so that more and more Indian professionals can connect on this site.
 
This job change trend has come to the fore at a time when the country is once again in the grip of the third wave of Covid 19 pandemic. Not only this, recently the unemployment rate has also shown the growing trend. According to the Center for Monitoring Indian Economy (CMIE), the unemployment rate in the country stood at 7.9 per cent in December 2021, compared to 7 per cent in November. The organisation also says that the unemployment rate in urban areas reached 9.3 per cent in December. LinkedIn's survey is based on the views of more than a thousand people in India. Social media is proving to be a good option for the youth to search for new jobs. It is estimated that more than 80 percent of employers search for employees on social media. According to a report by Jobcast, 93 percent of employers use LinkedIn for recruitments. Similarly, 66 percent of employers use Facebook, and 54 percent use Twitter.
 
When it comes to job seekers, only 36 percent of people are on LinkedIn, 40 percent are on Twitter, and 83 percent are on Facebook. Through social media, such people easily get jobs, whose social profile looks good, as well as whose case has been referred to by many people. Job seekers should post their social media thoughtfully. The LinkedIn survey shows that 30 percent of people are leaving their current jobs due to lack of balance between work and life, 28 per cent feel that they are not getting proper salary, while 23 per cent are looking for a better career. Actually employees are seeking more flexibility in working hours and days. Apart from this, the desire for a good salary is paramount. Another factor that is increasing stress among employees is distance from family, growing health concerns and uncertainty about the future. This has had a profound impact on the mental health of the people in recent times. Covid pandemic will change the world in many ways.

(Author is a senior journalist and columnist)