People want their jobs to provide them with security and steady pay

Workers are placing greater emphasis on job security, fair pay and employer support for flexibility, according to new global research from the Adecco Group, which suggests the so called Great Resignation has given way to a more cautious approach to how ambitious people would like to seem. The Workforce Trends 2025 report [registration] is based on responses from 37,500 workers and 2,000 senior executives across 31 countries. It finds that while employees continue to value growth, flexibility and meaningful work, these priorities are increasingly secondary to stable income and employment certainty as economic and social uncertainty persists.

According to the report, personal fulfilment has been overtaken by job security and reliable pay as the most important factors in retaining staff. Adecco argues this reflects a broader reassessment of risk among workers, who are seeking more predictable foundations from employers while remaining open to reskilling and new forms of work.

The research also highlights a shift in how flexibility is perceived. Rather than a uniform preference for remote working, expectations vary by seniority, with leaders more focused on where work is done and younger workers placing greater value on control over working hours. Adecco describes this as a move towards more tailored approaches to flexibility rather than standardised policies.

One of the more notable findings is a change in pay confidence between occupational groups. For the first time in three years, blue collar workers report greater confidence that they are being paid fairly than their white collar counterparts. The report links this to continued demand for skilled manual labour, alongside expectations among senior leaders that salary growth for white collar roles will slow.

The study also points to persistent weaknesses in internal mobility. More than six in ten organisations surveyed say they struggle to move people into new roles internally, while only a third are investing in data to map workforce skills. Adecco suggests this reliance on external hiring over internal development risks undermining both job security and organisational agility.

Artificial intelligence features prominently in the findings, with many workers reporting that their understanding of AI has advanced beyond the training provided by their employers. While most respondents say they are willing to adapt to technological change, the report warns that insufficient investment in upskilling could limit both engagement and growth.

Denis Machuel, chief executive of the Adecco Group, said the findings showed workers were looking for stability alongside opportunity. He said employers that combined fair pay, job security and support for skills development would be better placed to attract and retain talent in a changing labour market.