GREAT RESIGNATION

Jan. 18, 2022

In 2020, resignation rates across the US plummeted due to the fear and uncertainty caused by the pandemic.

About:

  • However, one year later, as the workforce experienced a collective burnout, individuals left their jobs at unprecedented rates, leading some to describe the phenomenon as the Great Resignation.

  • In November 2021, 4.5 million workers left their jobs according to the US Labor Department. This matched record numbers observed in September and accounted for 3 per cent of the workforce quitting their jobs each month.

  • Estimates indicate that in total, 75.5 million people in America resigned in 2021.

  • Low-wage workers were more likely to resign than their higher-paid counterparts with the sectors most affected including hospitality, healthcare and social assistance, and transportation, warehousing, and utilities.

  • The Great Resignation has largely been fuelled by burnout, but other factors also include the shift to working from home and the desire to move into a more stable profession.

  • In light of these resignations, the labour market has incentivised companies to offer better benefits and higher salaries.