Half of U.S. Workers Would Keep Working if They Won the Lottery

If you won the lottery, would you keep working? While some may dream of hitting it big and leaving their office behind them, a new study from CareerBuilder suggests that’s not the case for everyone. Half (51 percent) of workers reported that, even if they didn’t need a job financially, they would still work after winning the lottery. Thirty percent of all workers say they would keep their current job.

The national survey, which was conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder from May 13 to June 6, 2014, included a representative sample of 3,372 workers across industries and company sizes.

Money Isn’t Everything

The study revealed that working isn’t always about the paycheck. The most common reasons workers would stay employed after winning the lottery included:

• I would be bored if I didn’t work – 77 percent
• Work gives me a sense of purpose and accomplishment – 76 percent
• I want financial security aside from the financial winnings – 42 percent
• I would miss co-workers – 23 percent

A Good Last Impression?

While many workers find reasons to continue working after a great financial windfall, nearly half (49 percent) say they’d take the opportunity to leave the workforce. When asked how they would quit their jobs, the most common responses included:

• Give two weeks’ notice or give my employer more time if they needed it to find a replacement – 48 percent
• Give two weeks’ notice and leave after two weeks – 31 percent
• Resign that day without giving notice – 13 percent
• Tell off the boss and air all grievances – 3 percent
• Not show up to work the next morning without formally quitting – 2 percent

Living the Dream

While nearly a third (30 percent) of employees would stay in their current job after winning the lottery, that’s not to say it’s their dream job. Only 15 percent of workers report they are currently working in their dream job, and another 36 percent say that while they’re not quite there yet, they believe they will be someday.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Poll on behalf of CareerBuilder among 3,372 workers ages 18 and over (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between May 13 and June 6, 2014 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 3,372, one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.69 percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About CareerBuilder®

CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping companies target and attract great talent. Its online career site, CareerBuilder.com®, is the largest in the United States with more than 24 million unique visitors and 1 million jobs. CareerBuilder works with the world’s top employers, providing everything from labor market intelligence to talent management software and other recruitment solutions. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company and The McClatchy Company (NYSE:MNI), CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the United States, Europe, South America, Canada and Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.