1 in 4 workers hunt for jobs during lunch breaks

Rather than tucking into a salad on their lunch break, one in four UK workers are opting to look for a new job, according to new research commissioned by job site reed.co.uk.

• A quarter of UK workers search for jobs on lunch breaks

• Under 35s are most likely to use their lunch breaks to job hunt

• ‘Salary increase’, ‘fresh start’ and ‘finding a new company’ are top motivators to search for a new role

This habit is particularly common among younger people, with a third (33%) of those between 22 and 35 admitting to applying for other jobs while at their desk working compared with 22% of respondents overall.

In contrast, older workers are more likely to search for new jobs after work hours, with 58% of over 55s searching on their return home from work.

The discrepancy could be attributed to the methods different generations of workers use to job hunt. Under 35s are significantly more likely to use their phones to search for jobs (43%), compared to over 50s (13%).

The most common reason behind workers applying for a new job was a salary increase (41%), followed by a desire for a fresh start (31%). More than 1 in 4 looked ‘to see what’s on the market’, and 23% wanted to work for another company.

Mark Rhodes, Marketing Director at reed.co.uk said:

“For most of us, our mobiles are never too far from reach, so it’s not surprising that we often turn to our phones to check out new jobs – even at our desks. But if you’re one of those wishing you were somewhere else every day you get into work, it’s probably the right time to move on. Ideally before your boss finds out…”