More Americans 50-Plus Seek to Make a Job Change in 2025

In today’s evolving job market, understanding the perspectives of older workers on job changes is crucial. To this end, AARP surveyed Americans age 50-plus heading into 2025 to understand their attitudes and experiences about workplace transitions and compared the results to a similar survey published in January 2024. Currently, significantly more workers age 50-plus plan to make a job change in 2025 than did in 2024 — 24 percent, up from 14 percent in 2024. Of those planning to make a change, most (40 percent) are planning to get a new job, but larger shares are planning to start their own business (16 percent vs. 9 percent in 2024) and shift from full- to part-time work (12 percent vs. 4 percent) than in 2024.

Finances are the main motivation.

Overall, money remains the primary driver of job change for 2025, as it was in 2024: 40 percent say their main reason for planning a job change is to make more money. The next-closest primary reason is to make a difference or do something meaningful (10 percent).

Job seekers are open to assistance.

Notably, 84 percent of prospective job changers recognize that they will need some assistance in making a change, outpacing the 69 percent who said the same in 2024. The help or information that job changers will need is varied, including how to apply current skills to a new job (29 percent), how to update a résumé (28 percent), how to assess their skills or experience (23 percent), finding a list of occupations that would be a good fit for their skills, experience, or qualifications (23 percent), and how to negotiate job offers (20 percent). While they recognize they may need some help or guidance, 85 percent are confident in their ability to make a job change.

Job seekers have concerns.

As older Americans consider a job change, some have concerns. Age discrimination remains a serious worry. In fact, 74 percent believe their older age will be considered a barrier to a hiring manager, including 42 percent who see it as a major barrier. Not surprisingly, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is also on their minds, with around one-third (34 percent) concerned that AI could impact their job security.

Large percentages of African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, and Asian American and Pacific Islander employed older workers expect to make a job change in 2025.

While the general population survey included all adults age 50-plus, we also explored job change consideration among samples of employed African American/Black (AA/B), Hispanic/Latino (H/L), and Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) workers age 50-plus.

Two in five (41 percent) of both AA/B and H/L employed workers 50-plus say they plan to make a job change in 2025, and 33 percent of AAPI workers plan to do the same. Of those, most plan to get a new job (36 percent AA/B, 43 percent H/L, 50 percent AAPI) and explore a new role at their current employer (26 percent, 23 percent, 21 percent). Over one in ten (18 percent, 16 percent, and 13 percent) plan to start their own business.

Just as with the general population, employed older workers who are AA/B (40 percent), H/L (46 percent), and AAPI (39 percent) are motivated to make a job change primarily by money.

Very large majorities of AA/B, H/L, and AAPI workers recognize the need for some sort of help or information as they change jobs: 79 percent of AA/B, 86 percent of H/L, and 90 percent of AAPI older workers indicate that they will need at least one form of help or information to make their job change. As seen in the chart below, common needs among AA/B, H/L, and AAPI employed older workers include determining how to apply current skills to a new role or job, updating a résumé, finding occupations that would be a good fit, and assessing their skills and competencies, though some variation between groups exists.

Despite concern with artificial intelligence’s (AI) impact on job security — about two in five of each group are concerned — and the fact that they see age as a significant barrier to finding a new job, these groups are confident that their job change will be successful. For example, 56 percent of AA/B, 60 percent of H/L, and 69 percent of AAPI workers see their age as a barrier to finding a new job, yet 92 percent, 82 percent, and 64 percent, respectively, are confident that they will be able to make a job change in 2025.

Methodology

All interviews were conducted from October 17 to November 5, 2024 among 3,580 U.S. adults age 50 or older, including 574 African American/Black, 578 Hispanic/Latino, and 538 Asian American and Pacific Islander employed adults age 50 or older. The sample was sourced from the AmeriSpeak panel and Prodege’s nonprobability panel. Funded and operated by NORC at the University of Chicago, the AmeriSpeak panel is a probability-based panel designed to be representative of the U.S. household population. Interviews were conducted online and via telephone. All data are weighted to the latest Current Population Survey (CPS) benchmarks developed by the U.S. Census Bureau and are balanced by gender, age, education, race/ethnicity, and region.

For more information, please contact Rebecca Perron at rperron@aarp.org. For media inquiries, contact Media Relations at media@aarp.org.