One in five Australians quit their job within the last year, research by the National Australia Bank shows, and almost one quarter are considering changing their place of employment.

NAB business banking executive Julie Rynski said the mass resignation over the past 12 months had not yet translated into higher wages but rather forced companies to offer perks and improve culture in an effort to retain staff.

NAB surveyed 2000 Australians and found the highest turnover was among the general unskilled population, including parking attendants, fruit pickers, labourer assistants and cleaners, with almost one in four (37 per cent) workers in these industries changing jobs. This was followed by high levels of resignations among labourers and technology workers.

NAB found the key reasons people were leaving their jobs included lack of personal fulfilment, purpose or meaning, lack of career growth, impact to mental health, poor pay and benefits, poor work-life balance, burnout and feeling like a fresh start.

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Ms Rynski said some workers would use the hot labour market to secure a promotion or higher pay but it was interesting that salary was not the largest driver behind decisions to change jobs. She said the coronavirus pandemic had increasingly made people look for employment that brings them satisfaction and enables work-life balance, adding many had opted to move to regional areas for more space or greater connection with nature.

“COVID has made people aware of their own need for personal fulfilment ... People are starting to follow their dreams a little more,” Ms Rynski, NAB’s business banking executive for regional areas, said.

Small to medium-sized businesses had developed a number of ways to prevent attrition to ensure workers felt a connection to their colleagues and motivated to stay with the one company, she said.

“Like people in grocery stores saying I’m going to give you a paid day off because I know how hard you’ve been working.