Americans Flee Five Top Career Fields

A new analysis from Indeed’s Hiring Lab shows that most Americans who changed jobs in the past two years also changed careers, highlighting a significant shift in the labor market that has gone far beyond traditional job hopping. Knewz.com has learned that between 2022 and 2024, roughly 2.6% of professionals in the United States changed jobs every month on the job-seeking platform Indeed. Notably, 64% of them didn’t just find a new employer — they entered entirely different fields.

A Significant Number of Career Changes

According to reports, the global health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic created a substantial labor shortage that allowed workers to hop among jobs for better pay, benefits and less tangible rewards. Allison Shrivastava, an economist with the Indeed Hiring Lab, explained, “People could really change jobs if they wanted to. … There was a lot more opportunity for people to change careers.” Some of the top reasons for career change, according to a FlexJobs poll, are: the decision to work remotely (67%), a better work-life balance (52%), more meaningful or fulfilling career options (48%), and higher pay (48%).

Hospitality and Tourism Sectors Impacted

According to the analysis from Indeed’s Hiring Lab, the hospitality and tourism sector saw 91% of workers switching careers. The reason, Shrivastava says, is the fact that there is no upward mobility in the field. Furthermore, many workers are in lower-wage positions that have long hours and unpredictable schedules, according to the financial services company Payactiv.

Arts and Entertainment, Childcare Also Affected

The arts and entertainment sector, as well as the childcare sector, saw 86% of their workforce switch professions. The primary reason? Most aspiring authors, actors and so on give up on their dreams at one point and switch to more stable careers, reports have shown. As for the childcare sector, although the field can be rewarding, workers feel that the pay is not enough, compared to the work they have to put in.

Logistics Support, Personal Care and Home Health Disrupted

According to the logistics company Intelligent Audit, the logistics sector faced a significant disruption during the pandemic, prompting many workers to quit for better pay and less stress. The Hiring Lab analysis showed that the sector saw 86% of the workforce switch careers from 2022 to 2024. As for the personal care and home health sector, workers leave because of the low pay, difficult hours and inconsistent schedules, according to the company CareVoyant, which makes software for the industry. On the other hand, trends show that the fewest workers switch from and to occupations that require formal credentials, licenses, training and specialized skills. For instance, the nursing sector only saw 28% of workers switch careers between 2022 and 2024, per reports.

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