The number of employees who are looking for a new job has reached its highest level since autumn 2013 while job satisfaction is also at its lowest level in two years, according to a survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).

The CIPD/Halogen Employee Outlook, which surveyed more than 2,000 people, found that almost a quarter of employees are currently looking for a new job, up from 20% in autumn 2015. This is the highest level since autumn 2013, when 24% of respondents said they were job-seeking.  

The report also shows that net job satisfaction has also decreased substantially since last autumn, from a net score of +48 to +40.

Although job satisfaction was found to have dropped across all areas of the economy, the private sector fared worst, declining from +50 to +41.

“The wider global economic uncertainty will have had an impact, but some of the themes we are seeing coming though, such as a lack of career progression opportunities and development opportunities on the job, also affect job satisfaction," " Claire McCartney, research adviser for resourcing and talent planning at the CIPD, said.

In the survey employees were split over the statement 'this organisation really inspires the very best in me in the way of job performance', with 34% disagreeing and 35% agreeing.

While 33% said their organisation can fulfil their career aspirations, 36% said this is 'unlikely' or 'very unlikely'. And while 44% believe their organisation provides opportunities to learn and grow, 30% disagree.

There has also been an increase in the proportion of employees who believe they are over-qualified for their role, which now stands at a third compared to 29% in autumn 2015. Women and part-time workers are most likely to feel over-qualified.

Another area of dissatisfaction for some is around performance management systems.

Overall, the employees surveyed are happy with their line managers. Among the 80 per cent who said they report to a supervisor or line manager, satisfaction sat at +47 (up from +44 in autumn 2015).

Although 67% said their line managers treat them fairly, make clear what is expected of them (59%) and are supportive if they have a problem (57%), only 24% said their line manager has coached them on the job, and relatively few discuss training and development needs (38%) or act as a role model (34%).

The survey also found that while employees are mostly aware of the purpose of their organisation (+70), far fewer are motivated by this key purpose (+28).  

When it comes to health and wellbeing, employees' ability to achieve a balance between work and home has remained stable over the last few years, although 37% reported feeling under excessive pressure at least once a week.

The research showed that 31% said they come home from work exhausted 'often' or 'always'. This was more likely in the private sector (22%) than the public (17%) and voluntary (14%) sectors.