86% of Millennials Likely to Seek a New Job Should the Job Market Turn Around, General Assembly Survey Finds

Career path clarity, opportunities to build AI skills and internal mobility are key to employee satisfaction

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--General Assembly, a leading provider of tech and AI training and an LHH brand, today published findings from a survey of millennial knowledge workers revealing an urgent need for employers to invest in continuous learning, AI upskilling and internal mobility programs to satisfy, engage and retain critical mid-career talent.

“Millennial talent has a unique combination of technical proficiency and soft skills that employers can’t afford to lose,” said Daniele Grassi, CEO of General Assembly. “Many have developed significant institutional knowledge and career experience that employers should prioritize retaining. Our research finds that offering opportunities to build AI skills, reskill for internal opportunities, and learn on the job is essential to retaining this generation.”

Millennials are Satisfied–But Ready to Move
Nearly four in five millennials (79%) report being very to completely satisfied with their jobs–but among individual contributors, satisfaction drops to 63%. More than one in five millennials have lost a job due to a layoff or reduction in force in the past five years, and nearly a third (32%) say they feel stuck in their roles because of today’s job market.

If the job market were to significantly improve for candidates, nearly half of millennials (49%) say they would immediately begin looking for another position while another 37% would be open to opportunities from recruiters and their networks. Only 14% say they would not be open to a new role because they are satisfied where they are. Managers (54%) and employees with less than five years of tenure (50%) are especially likely to say they would start looking right away, along with workers in hospitality (72%), education (53%), and professional services (55%).

Learning, AI Upskilling and Growth/Mobility Paths Drive Job Satisfaction for Millennial Talent

Access to learning opportunities, clear career paths, internal mobility opportunities and AI upskilling are central to job satisfaction for millennials. Seventy-one percent of respondents report they are completely satisfied with their on-the-job learning opportunities, but that number varies across seniority levels. Eighty-seven percent of director+ employees, 69% of managers and 52% of individual contributors say this.

Additionally, 61% of millennials say they actively seek out AI upskilling and education to future-proof their careers–rising to 75% among director+ employees, 74% of those in manufacturing and 77% of those in professional services. Employees who report having a clear path to career advancement are more likely to be satisfied with their jobs (84% job satisfaction among this group), as are employees who believe they have access to internal career opportunities (81%) and who believe their company would support them upskilling or reskilling to take on a new position internally (83%).

When it comes to what would motivate them to make a career move, millennials ranked the opportunity to develop new skills as one of their top priorities, just behind compensation, benefits and the opportunity to work they are passionate about.

Millennials Cautiously Optimistic About AI–But It’s Disrupting Some Careers

Most millennials (55%) believe they are better prepared than other generations for the AI transformation, due to their unique combination of soft and technical skills. More than half (51%) believe their company is doing a good job of adopting AI, and 45% believe AI will create more career opportunities for them. Most (58%) feel confident coaching junior employees on navigating AI-driven change.

However, more than a quarter (27%) say AI has thrown their career off course and nearly two in five (39%) say the skills they learned early in their career are becoming obsolete thanks to AI. Director+ employees (53%) were most likely to say the latter as were employees in professional services (46%).

General Assembly surveyed 500+ millennial knowledge workers in the United States and United Kingdom from Dec. 1 to 5, 2025. To learn more, click here.

About General Assembly
General Assembly (GA), an LHH brand, is the leading talent and upskilling partner that helps individuals and businesses acquire the real skills required to succeed in an increasingly complex technological era. Founded in 2011 to make tech-centric jobs accessible to anyone and meet the demand of fast-growing tech companies, GA evolved into a center of excellence in training people from all backgrounds to upgrade their practical knowledge of tech skills now required in every company and in any role. With a global presence, hands-on instruction, and a passionate alumni community, GA gives learners 360-degree support as they take the next step in their career journey. General Assembly is part of LHH, the professional talent solutions arm of The Adecco Group, the world’s leading talent advisory and solutions company. GA matches the right talent to business needs. All day, every day: GA puts real skills to work.