Few Americans Content To Stay In Current Job

Half of working Americans would consider changing careers, nearly one-quarter plan such a change in the next 12 months, and only 3% say they are satisfied with their current job. "Americans don't fear career change -- they embrace it. They're working to improve their lives significantly by developing the career skills they need to advance in the new economy," says John Larson, president and CEO of Career Education Corp., a provider of private post-secondary education, which conducted the nationwide survey resulting in these findings. Why change careers? Of those surveyed, 29.5% said making more money was their top reason; 23.7% cited personal happiness; 6.5%, job satisfaction, and 3.6%, better hours. Fifty-four percent of respondents said they've changed careers; of those, 76% said their earnings have increased. And 60% said they got additional education or training to prepare for those new careers. Only 2% of respondents said they were afraid of learning the technology needed to start a new career.