Number Of Yorkshire Workers Planning Career Changes Due To Pandemic Rises

More than half of Yorkshire workers (52%) intend to make changes to their careers in the next 12 months, as a result of the Covid outbreak, an increase of seven percentage points since July 2020 (45%).

The research, conducted as part of Aviva’s latest How We Live report, reveals changes range from the relatively minor, such as learning new skills or gaining further qualifications, to switching career path completely.

The proportion of workers in Yorkshire intending to gain more academic qualifications in the next 12 months has increased from 7% in July 2020 to 9% in February 2021. Seven per cent of Yorkshire workers hope to follow a completely different career path, while 6% intend to set up their own business.

Yorkshire workers have also revealed their altruistic natures, with seven per cent planning to find a role which helps others.

The desire to work from home is marginally lower than the national average. In Yorkshire, 9% of workers intend to find a role which will allow them to work from home, compared to the UK average of 10%

Number of people planning income through hobbies falls

This latest research also suggests the number of people who plan to turn hobbies into income streams has fallen slightly.

In July 2020, the first How We Live study discovered 5% of Yorkshire adults planned to turn a hobby into a career, while a further 9% saw their hobby as a way of generating a second income stream.

These intentions have fallen slightly overall during the pandemic: now 6% of adults in Yorkshire say they plan to turn a hobby into a second source of income, while 5% hope that a hobby will become a career.

Gareth Hemming, MD, Personal Lines, Aviva says: “As the pandemic has continued, an increasing number of people have given thought to what they want from their careers and now more than half of Yorkshire workers would like to make changes to their working lives. The extent of these changes varies: in some instances people want more flexibility, such as the ability to work from home, while others wish to change their career paths completely.

“For those who plan to become home-workers, it’s always sensible to check that they have suitable cover for their circumstances. Many home insurance policies include cover for office equipment. However, a standard home insurance policy may not be adequate if someone wishes to run a business from their home, particularly if they have stock on site or customers visiting their property. To be absolutely certain, it’s always best for people to check with their insurance provider.”