Refreshing skills and competencies is considered essential to enhance employability according to Randstad’s third-quarter Workmonitor survey released today.

Globally, 90% of respondents indicated they believe in regularly refreshing their skills and competencies to enhance their employability. The percentages ranged from 98% in China to 67% of the respondents in the Netherlands; in the US, 83% agreed with the premise.

The report also found on average, 74% of the global respondents agree they are realizing their full potential in their current jobs. The percentages ranged from 90% in both Greece and Malaysia to 55% in Japan; in the US, 81% agreed with the premise.

Other key insights on this report include:

• 91% of employees believe that keeping their skills and competencies up to date is their own responsibility.
• Over the past 12 months, 71% of global respondents say they have done some training activity to upskill themselves in relation to work.
• Over the past 12 months, 71% of global respondents say they have done some training activity to upskill themselves in relation to work.

The survey addresses other quarterly observations as well.

Mobility index stable at 109: With a mobility index score of 109, the number of employees worldwide expecting to be employed elsewhere in the coming six months remained stable compared to the previous quarter. Mobility was up most in New Zealand, up 7%; Hungary, up 6%; and Australia and France, both up 5%. The biggest decreases are found in China, down 7%; and the US, Norway, Sweden and Greece, all down 5%.

Actual job change stable at 23%, highest in India and Malaysia: Actual job change remained stable at 23%. Compared to last quarter, job change increased most significantly in Hong Kong, up 6%; Turkey, up 5%; and Mexico and Switzerland, both up 4%. The biggest decrease was in the US, down 5%; and Malaysia, Norway, and Poland, all down 4%. At 47%, job change in India is even higher than in the previous quarter, with 34% changing employers and a further 13% changing positions at the same employer. At 43%, overall job change in Malaysia was slightly down; 28% of employees here changed employers, compared to 33% in the previous quarter. However, the percentage of employees changing positions at the same employer did increase in Malaysia, up to 15% from 11%. Actual job change is still lowest in Luxembourg at 8%.

Appetite to change jobs still highest in India: Compared to the previous quarter, the desire to change jobs increased most in Denmark, Malaysia and Sweden, while it decreased most in Mexico, the Czech Republic, the UK and Norway. The appetite to change jobs is highest in India, up 40%, and lowest in Austria and Luxembourg, down 17% and 18% respectively.

Job satisfaction highest in Mexico and Denmark: Compared to last quarter, job satisfaction increased most in Denmark, to 83% from 79%. Denmark is now the second-most-satisfied country behind Mexico at 85%. Job satisfaction decreased in Australia, Austria, Malaysia and New Zealand; it is lowest in Japan at 42%.

The Randstad Workmonitor covers 33 countries around the world. The third-quarter study was conducted online from July 18 to Aug. 2, 2017. The minimum sample size is 400 interviews per country.