Around 44% of employees have already thought about changing their careers while 26% have actually switched (2024: 44%; 24%). Most career changers are aged between 25 and 34 years (31%). Around half of 18 to 24-year-olds and 35 to 44-year-olds have thought about changing industries or professions. "Younger generations are no longer looking for their next career destination; they are looking for a place where work and life go together," says Thomas Kindler, Managing Director of Xing. The 55 to 65-year-old age group is the most stable and while 35 per cent have thought about a career change, only 22 per cent have actually done so.
Companies' views on employees changing jobs - results of Xing job network's survey
HR managers are much more open to career changers and are recognising their potential, according to the latest XING Labour Market Report 2025. The Appinio research institute had surveyed 2,000 employees and 300 job seekers in Germany on behalf of the Xing job network this summer.
Who is thinking of changing careers?
Why do women and men change careers?
Employees opt for lateral entry because of money (51%), job security (38%) and a worthwhile job (32%). However, there are slight differences between the sexes. While men (47%, women: 44%) consider a lateral entry more often, women (28%, men 23%) actually do so. However, both genders make the decision mainly for financial reasons (men: 53%; women: 50%). But other more pronounced differences e.g., corporate culture (27%, women: 19%), learning and utilising unused skills (32%, women 24%) and job security (42%, women 36%) appear to be more important to men than women. However, women consider a worthwhile job more essential (34%, men: 30%) than men.
What do companies think of career changers?
Lateral entry proved more popular among employers in 2025 than last year. Around 65 per cent of the 300 jobseekers surveyed agreed that lateral entrants boost innovation (2024: 43%) while 62 per cent also believe that they add variety and diversity to a company, input fresh perspectives and ideas (61 per cent) and help mitigate the skills shortage (61 per cent). Almost a quarter of HR managers (22 per cent) even preferred to hire lateral entrants this year compared to a mere 6 per cent in 2024. Career changers can now apply for more jobs on the Xing job market than in 2024. Around 59,000 jobs are vacant in the German-speaking countries (2024: 53,000), of which around 56,000 are in Germany. Transport, logistics, HR services and consulting, retail, consumer goods and trade are the top five sectors. "When companies are desperately looking for suitable employees, it is only logical to cast the net wider and increasingly consider lateral entrants from other sectors for new positions," Kindler said.
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