2025 could be the year of 'revenge quitting' – workers are tired of stagnant wages, a lack of career opportunities, and feeling undervalued in roles

Around one-in-ten (11%) tech and IT workers plan to exit their roles this year in a move dubbed “revenge quitting,” according to a study from Software Finder.

The workers most likely to “revenge quit” are those in marketing and advertising (16%), the report found, while around 4% of the entire workforce is planning on making a pointed departure from positions.

Notably, hybrid employees are also planning to quit, as well as 6% of those in managerial positions. The study found that staff planning on the move have wanted to leave their current role for over 13 months on average.

More than a quarter (28%) of full-time staff predict revenge quitting to occur at their workplace this year, as well as 31% of hybrid workers.

This inclination towards quitting is due to a variety of issues, the study noted. An overwhelming majority of workers (93%) are frustrated with their current role.

The biggest frustration is with salary, with 48% of those surveyed complaining of low wages or a lack of raises. Other factors include staff feeling undervalued (34%) or a lack of career growth opportunities (33%).

27% said poor management was a frustration, 24% cited a lack of work-life balance, and 22% complained of limited time off, the survey found.

Revenge quitting could surge among tech workers

The survey findings are consistent with recent research from Dice, which found nearly half (47%) of tech workers were actively seeking new roles. This figure marked a sharp increase from the 29% of workers considering alternative roles in the year prior.

Dice’s study found that tech workers harbor similar resentments about their working conditions, with six-in-ten stating that they feel underpaid.

Research from 2023 paints a similar picture, with 57% of UK tech workers reportedly switching roles amid a background of economic uncertainty and redundancies in the industry.

Some research suggests a different trend, though, with a report from Harnham finding that a sense of job security had plummeted among tech workers from 83% in 2023 to 60% in 2024.

Just 59% of those surveyed said they would exit their role for the right opportunity, reportedly the lowest proportion over the last four years.