Nearly half of U.S. workers (49 percent) are at least somewhat likely to look for another job this year, according to the 2012 Aflac WorkForces Report. And most of those who say they are extremely or very likely to leave their jobs describe themselves as the kind of workers companies need to retain to remain competitive in a tight economy.

The online survey of nearly 1,900 benefits decision-makers and more than 6,100 U.S. workers found that those employees who are extremely or very likely to look for a new job in 2012 say the following qualities describe them fairly or extremely well:

• Hard worker—90 percent
• High achiever at work—79 percent
• Highly educated—73 percent
• Ambitious; someone who strives to get ahead—64 percent.

The survey reports that workers who are extremely or very satisfied with their benefits program are 9 times more likely to stay with their employer than those who are dissatisfied with their benefits program. In fact, 76 percent of employees say they would be at least somewhat likely to accept a job with a more robust benefits package but lower compensation.

Eighty-four percent of workers say benefits are at least somewhat important in the decision to leave a current employer, and 50 percent say they are very or extremely influential.