University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies Releases Whitepaper on American Workers’ Reasons for Switching Jobs

Insights by Dr. Underdahl draws on data from 2022 Career Optimism Index® study

University of Phoenix College of Doctoral Studies announces the release of a whitepaper examining factors contributing to employee turnover, as well as possible solutions: “American Workers’ Reasons for Switching Jobs.”

Drawing upon data from the 2022 University of Phoenix Career Institute^™ Career Optimism Index® study, Louise Underdahl, Ph.D., a Research Fellow with the Center for Educational and Instructional Technology (CEITR) at the University of Phoenix, describes in this whitepaper factors contributing to employee turnover, examines employer initiatives to reduce turnover, and explores an ecosystem approach to removing silos between employers, employees, educators, and policymakers.

“The Career Optimism Index^® study shows that 52% of Americans are either actively looking for a job or expecting to look for one in the next six months,” states Underdahl. “Addressing post-COVID-19 workforce challenges mandates coordination and cooperation between employers, employees, educators, and policymakers; silos have no place.”

Underdahl completed her doctorate with the University of Southern California. She is currently a reviewer at the College of Doctoral Studies’ Dissertation to Publication Workshop, and has been co-leader of College of Doctoral Studies Alumni Special Interest Group since 2019. Underdahl is a recipient of multiple faculty recognition awards at University of Phoenix as a 2021 and 2022 recipient of the Phoenix500, the Distinguished Service Award for Scholarly Leadership in 2019, and the Faculty Excellence Award in 2018.

Underdahl has been teaching at the University since 2004.

The full whitepaper is available at the Career Institute^TM webpage or as a direct link here.

About the College of Doctoral Studies

University of Phoenix’s College of Doctoral Studies focuses on today’s challenging business and organizational needs, from addressing critical social issues to developing solutions to accelerate community building and industry growth. The College’s research program puts students in the center of an effective ecosystem of experts, resources and tools to help prepare them to be a leader in their organization, industry and community. Through this program, students and researchers work with organizations to conduct research that can be applied in the workplace in real time.

About the Career Optimism Index®

The Career Optimism Index® study is one of the most comprehensive studies of Americans’ personal career perceptions to date. The University of Phoenix Career Institute will conduct this research annually to provide insights on current workforce trends and to help identify solutions to support and advance American careers and create equity in the workplace. For the second annual study, more than 5,000 U.S. adults were surveyed about how they feel about their careers at this moment in time, including their concerns, their challenges, and the degree to which they are optimistic about core aspects of their careers, their advancement in the future. The study was conducted among a diverse, nationally representative, sample of U.S. adults among a robust sample to allow for gender, generational, racial, and socioeconomic differences and includes additional analysis of workers in the top twenty media markets across the country to uncover geographic nuances. This year, the study also explored insights from 500 U.S. employers who are influential or play a critical role in hiring and workplace decisions within a range of departments, company sizes and industries to provide comparison between the workforce and those who hire, train and retain them.

About University of Phoenix 

University of Phoenix is continually innovating to help working adults enhance their careers in a rapidly changing world. Flexible schedules, relevant courses, interactive learning, and Career Services for Life® help students more effectively pursue career and personal aspirations while balancing their busy lives. For more information, visit phoenix.edu.