A sharp increase in the number of older Americans seeking a job change has been identified in a new survey released by the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP).

The survey of 3,580 U.S. adults found that 24 percent of older workers are planning to make a job change this year, a 10 percent increase from last year, when just 14 percent indicated they were looking for new employment.

The findings are consistent with recent research showing more Americans are looking to switch jobs than at any point in the past decade.

Of workers 50 and older who are planning to make a change, 40 percent said they are planning to get a new job, but 16 percent said they plan to start their own business, an increase over the 9 percent who said the same last year.

Making more money is the main reason people said they want a job change, followed by wanting to make a difference and wanting flexible work options, the non-profit agency said.

“Today, roughly 38 million older adults are working; that’s more than two-and-a-half times the number of older adults working 40 years ago,” said Carly Roszkowski, vice president of Financial Resilience Programming at AARP. “With high prices and inflation continuing to impact everything from housing costs to groceries, it’s no surprise older adults are looking to increase their income.”

Age discrimination is a concern among older Americans considering a job change.

Seventy-four percent of older adults believe their age will be a barrier to getting hired.

AARP research consistently shows that 64 percent of workers age 50-plus have reported seeing or experiencing age discrimination in the workplace.

The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) is also a concern, with around one-third (34 percent) worried that AI could impact their job security, the survey showed.

“Many older workers face age discrimination and are often overlooked for jobs they are qualified for, even though they bring expertise, maturity and perspective to the job,” said Roszkowski. “This should not be the case. Employers need talent, and it makes great business sense to hire experienced workers.”

Eighty-four percent of prospective job seekers say they will need assistance in making a job change, a sharp increase from the 69 percent who said the same in 2024.

Learning to apply their current skills to a new role or job tops the list of issues people feel they need help with, alongside how to update a resume and followed by how to prepare for a job interview and how to negotiate a job offer.