Santosh Shrestha, a 26-year-old graphic designer from Kathmandu, has changed jobs three times over the past four years.

One might assume it was all about the money, but the truth behind his decision was something else.

“I felt stuck,” Shrestha says about his decision to reject a stable role at a reputable marketing firm. “There were no opportunities for growth, and the company culture felt too rigid.”

His frustration emanated from senior colleagues dismissing his innovative ideas in favour of traditional designs.

Shrestha represents a new breed of professionals driving the job-hopping trend. Inspired by the rising trends of global digital nomadism, Shrestha hopped into freelance work in mid-June 2024.

“The older generation believes stability is working for one company,” Shrestha says. “But for me, it’s about finding places that value my skills.”

Rina Karki, a 24-year-old data analyst, fits the same mold. After two years at a leading IT company in Kathmandu, she switched jobs in 2024 upon realising she was underpaid compared to market standards.

“I loved my team, but the pay wasn’t enough,” Karki says. The lack of career advancement led her to join a start-up offering a higher salary and international project exposure.

“Today, it’s about more than just salary,” Karki says. “Feeling respected, seen, and heard about our mental health is essential. I found that younger, youth-led start-ups are better aligned with this.”

Job-hopping—the practice of changing jobs frequently over a short period of time—is gradually gaining currency among many young professionals in Nepal, like Shrestha and Karki, particularly among the Gen Z and millennials. Prioritising flexibility, mental well-being, and career growth over long-term job stability, many youths are leaving traditional workplaces in search of environments that better align with their values.

This shift, largely fueled by dissatisfaction with rigid corporate culture, limited career advancement, and inadequate pay, reflects a global trend.

Roshee Lamichhane, an assistant professor at the Kathmandu University School of Management in Lalitpur, previously served as the placement coordinator for the Department of Marketing and Entrepreneurship until 2022.

Over her eight years in this role, she has witnessed major shifts in workplace expectations.

On average, master’s students are the most frequent job-hoppers, staying at one job for only two to three years, Lamichhane says. “Even bachelor’s students exhibit this behaviour, even if it is just for gaining experience before moving abroad,” she adds.

Lamichhane’s observations suggest that Gen Z and millennials have starkly different priorities compared to previous generations. “Even with a good salary, if they feel restricted by company policies or culture, they tend to leave,” she says. “This was the most common reason for job change requests that came to me.”

Furthermore, these generations expect inclusion in decision-making processes, something that older workplaces, with their hierarchical structures, often fail to offer. “If they feel unheard or not treated as equals, they leave,” Lamichhane says.

In contrast to the previous generations’ long-term career stability in a single place, today’s youth prioritise mental well-being and job satisfaction.

A 2023 survey by ResumeLab, involving over 1,100 US-based workers, found that 97 percent of Gen Z identify work as part of their identity. An overwhelming 83 percent of these workers consider themselves job-hoppers.

They see frequent job changes not as a sign of instability but “as a strategic way to diversify their skills, pursue new challenges, and find environments that better align with their values,” the report said.

It is not just an American phenomenon.

A 2019 study on millennials in the private sector in Kathmandu shows that Nepali youths are not only aware of this shift but are actively participating in it.

The study revealed that the main reasons for job-hopping are better opportunities and dissatisfaction with the pay structure and work module. Employees, especially younger generations, do not believe that staying in one job will provide substantial financial or career growth.

Interestingly, the study also found that the tendency to job-hop is more prevalent among males, with 67.5 percent of male respondents having left their jobs compared to 32.5 percent of females. Unmarried employees are also more likely to job-hop than their married counterparts.

The primary reasons behind job-hopping in Nepal, as per the research, include the desire for better opportunities, dissatisfaction with pay, lack of career growth, and job insecurity.

Out of 200 respondents in the 2019 study, 27.2 percent switched jobs to seek better opportunities, and 24.9 percent left due to low pay.

Career growth was another key factor, with 16.8 percent citing it as the reason for their job change. Job security, especially in private organisations, was also a concern for 11.6 percent of respondents.

Another factor contributing to job-hopping in Nepal is migration. Many young professionals leave the country to seek better opportunities abroad.

As Lamichhane points out, “Even if they have a good job and salary here, many want to go abroad. One of my students worked for two to three years at Nabil Bank in a very good position but came to me saying they wanted to apply abroad for higher studies. There is a level of saturation happening here.”

Job hopping saw a rise especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the Employee Benefit Research Institute, 22 percent of workers aged 20 and older spent a year or less at their jobs in 2022, the highest percentage since 2006.

The pandemic shifted people’s values, prompting them to seek meaningful work and greater work-life balance.

In a Gartner study of September 2023, 82 percent of workers said their company must see them as people, but only 45 percent felt that their organisation did so. This disconnect has led many to pursue job-hopping as a way to find more fulfilling work environments.

Job-hopping presents a growing challenge for employers, both in Nepal and globally.

“As younger generations prioritise mental well-being, work-life balance, and job satisfaction, traditional workplace structures may no longer suffice,” says Lamichhane.

Employers will need to adapt by offering more flexible work environments, better career growth opportunities, and a culture of inclusion to retain talent. Otherwise, the trend of job-hopping is likely to continue, reshaping the workforce dynamics for years to come.

“The challenge is particularly acute in Nepal, where the trend of ‘country-hopping’—seeking better opportunities abroad—is rising,” Lamichhane says. “If companies fail to align their interests and work models with the expectations of the new generation, it will become increasingly difficult to attract and retain fresh talent in Nepal.”