The survey of 2,000 employees across all sectors by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development found 54 percent of workers see pay as the main reason for wanting to change jobs, whereas last year 61 percent cited job satisfaction as their priority.
In an environment of pay freezes, high inflation and slow growth, 36 percent of those surveyed reported a decline in the quality of life in the past six months, the CIPD said.
“Besides being more likely to want to leave for more pay elsewhere, workers with financial difficulties are also more likely to report being under stress at work and are typically less satisfied with their jobs,” said Ben Willmott, senior public policy adviser at CIPD.
In the survey, 18 percent said they almost or almost always run out of money before payday, and the same proportion said they find paying the bills a constant struggle, the CIPD said.
The number of Britons claiming unemployment benefit saw its biggest jump in two years last month, while the jobless rate remained at 7.7 percent and average earnings grew at around half the rate of inflation.
The survey showed public sector workers are the least engaged with their jobs, with 35 percent of them fearing they could lose their jobs amid steep government cuts, the CIPD said.
