Office workers have considered leaving their jobs for a trade role in search of more meaningful work, but are being held back by expected pay cuts, according to a new report.

Findings from Kickresume's latest report revealed that 52% of employees have considered leaving for a trade, including 18% who think about it regularly.

Office employees who have considered the move came mostly from the engineering and manufacturing roles (64%), followed by those in business, management, and consulting positions (59%).

The same proportion of employees in marketing, advertising, and PR said they have also thought about moving to a trade role (59%), according to the findings.

The top trade career that office employees said they considered is in farming and agriculture (31%), followed by construction or building trades (11%) and landscaping or horticulture (11%).

Why are they considering trades?

Wanting a more meaningful or rewarding work has emerged as the top factor behind strong plans to move to a trade role, as cited by 23% of the respondents.

It comes as 87% of office workers open to leave said stress or burnout had made them question their career at some point, including 28% who started questioning office work within their first two years.

"The doubt isn't a mid-career crisis that builds over decades; it shows up fast and simply never fully goes away," the report read.

"The desire to leave, in other words, is widespread and largely emotional in origin – a response to how the desk job feels, before it's about anything a trade might offer."

The pay cut matters

Finances are barely a factor when it comes to a planned move to a trade role, according to the report.

Only 11% of office workers said they are considering a move to trades because they want to earn money.

In fact, 43% of office workers said an expected drop in salary once they move to a trade role is the top reason that's holding them back from actually doing it.

"Money doesn't pull people toward a trade. But it's the main thing keeping them from actually making the move," the report read.

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