THE Worcester job market looks set to see a flurry of resignation letters in the New Year, according to research from the travel specialist i-to-i.

Results of the company's annual career breakers survey show that, even more so than last year, Worcester' workers are set to resign in January, swapping their current posts for new jobs, further study or a spot of foreign travel.

The firm, which is a volunteer travel and training organisation, interviewed 50 people in the city, as well as hundreds more in 30 other areas across the UK.

According to the local results, 42 per cent of employees in Worcester are ready to head for pastures new in 2005, a five per cent rise on last year's figures.

Topping the poll of potential quitters are office staff, beating last year's most likely candidates - financial workers - by a nose. Nearly half, 48 per cent, of all office workers said they are considering leaving their jobs in the next few months.

These are closely followed by financial workers (46 per cent), shop assistants (43 per cent), health workers (37 per cent) and IT workers (35 per cent).

The happiest chaps proved to be those who work in the great outdoors, 90 per cent of whom said they were satisfied with their jobs.

The i-to-i research also revealed a startling number of anxious employees were feeling vexed in the city, feeling they were overworked and underpaid.

It showed 39 per cent thought of their workplace as a pressurised environment, 48 per cent felt they were not always rewarded for their hard work, and nearly one in five (17 per cent), said they don't use all their annual leave because they are so busy. The same percentage worried when they took time off, they would have an unmanageable workload when they returned.

Burnt-out

"It's well documented that Brits work some of the longest hours in Europe, so it's perhaps not surprising that people in Worcester are feeling burnt out," said i-to-i founder Deirdre Bounds.

"We also found that 38 per cent of Worcester's workers don't plan on doing their current type of job for the rest of their lives.

"So, with Christmas being traditionally a time when folks take stock, employers could be seeing a stack of situations vacant in January."