Nearly a quarter of British workers say their job is actively making them unhappy, with one in ten planning to resign this month, according to new research that will intensify concerns about productivity, retention and morale across the UK workforce.
The survey, conducted by international education group ACS, found that 9 per cent of employees expect to hand in their notice in January alone, with more than a third of those planning to quit intending to do so on the first working Monday of the year.
The findings come at a sensitive moment for the UK economy, as ministers attempt to revive productivity growth that has lagged behind international peers for more than a decade. Rachel Reeves pledged in the autumn budget to prioritise productivity, yet the Office for Budget Responsibility subsequently downgraded its growth outlook, citing weaker expectations for output per worker.
Workplace dissatisfaction is increasingly being viewed as part of that problem. Britain already ranks poorly compared with other European economies on measures of job satisfaction, and employers are now facing a workforce that is more willing to walk away when work feels misaligned with personal values, wellbeing or long-term prospects.
The ACS research suggests that discontent is translating into action. Alongside those planning to resign, 16 per cent of workers said they were considering returning to university or college, while 8 per cent planned to ask for a sabbatical. More than a quarter said they intend to start their own business at some point this year, and 24 per cent want to retrain in a different field.
In total, 41 per cent of respondents said they expect to undergo a significant career overhaul in 2026, underscoring how fluid and unsettled the labour market has become.
Employers are also grappling with changing expectations among younger workers. Factors such as hybrid working, while offering flexibility, have been linked to feelings of isolation, particularly among Gen Z employees. At the same time, enjoyment at work is increasingly prioritised over traditional markers of success such as pay or job security.
More than two thirds of young people surveyed said that job satisfaction matters more to them than salary, stability or progression — a shift that poses a challenge for organisations still structured around older models of motivation and reward.
The research also points to deeper structural issues in how careers are shaped. Martin Hall, head of school at ACS Hillingdon, said many workers feel their career paths were constrained too early by the UK education system.
“The research shows that the nation’s workers feel short-changed when it comes to their careers, and the next generation fears the system will send them the same way,” he said, arguing that pupils are pushed to narrow their options prematurely.
Two thirds of parents surveyed agreed that the exam system forces children to specialise too soon, limiting future career flexibility. Among working adults, one in five said they resent being “shoehorned” into a particular career, while around one in six said they feel depressed about where they ended up professionally.
For business leaders, the message is increasingly clear: dissatisfaction is no longer a soft issue. In a tight labour market with weak productivity growth, employee happiness, purpose and development are becoming central to retention, performance and long-term competitiveness.
