Great Resignation

[6] Among the most cited reasons for resigning included wage stagnation amid rising cost of living, limited opportunities for career advancement, hostile work environments, lack of benefits, inflexible remote-work policies, and long-lasting job dissatisfaction.

[18][19][20] This suggests that instead of remaining out of the workforce for extended periods (which can be financially difficult, especially at a time of high inflation), many workers were simply swapping jobs.

[27][28][29][30] Furthermore, while workers might feel empowered by being able to quit as soon as they see fit, they might struggle to climb up the career ladder due to their lack of experience and professional connections.

[44][45] As many workplaces attempted to bring their employees in-person, workers desired the freedom that remote work afforded them during the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as schedule flexibility, which was the primary reason to look for a new job of the majority of those studied by Bankrate in August 2021.

[56] Sekou Siby, president and CEO of the U.S. nonprofit Restaurant Opportunities Center United, commented, "There's more competition across industries, so workers are feeling more empowered than ever before, but that doesn't mean everyone is able to leave their current jobs.

[58] Racial minority, low-wage, and frontline workers are also more dissatisfied with their work in the United States, according to the asset management firm Mercer.

[59] An IMF working paper by Carlo Pizzinelli and Ippei Shibata focused on causes of the loss in employment within the U.S. and U.K. labor markets in comparison to pre-COVID-19 levels.

Although quit rates remained high in late 2021 and early 2022, many workers in Western countries returned to the labor force in large numbers.

[18] In general, an aging population and a labor shortage accelerate industrial automation, not just to replace the "missing" workers but also to cut costs.

According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey conducted in early August 2021, 65% of employees said they were looking for a new job and 88% of executives said their company was experiencing higher turnover than normal.

[17][70] While discussing Striketober, some economists described the Great Resignation as workers participating in a general strike against poor working conditions and low wages.

[73] Many older workers decided to retire during the pandemic, continuing a long-term trend in the U.S. labor market of growing rates of voluntary quitting dating back to 2009.

[63] Unsatisfied with their current positions, a record number of Americans quit to start their own businesses, only to face an acute labor shortage they helped to create.

[77] In response to the problem, a number of firms have relocated to states with lower costs of doing business (and possibly with subsidies), a large pool of skilled workers, quality education, high standards of living, and good infrastructure.

[82] However, some Americans have regretted leaving their old jobs as they are unsatisfied with their new positions,[21] especially Generation Z,[22] while businesses are not always keen to re-hire those who have quit, questioning their motives and loyalty.

[83] In order to counter the effects of a labor shortage, many American companies, especially those in the automotive, restaurant, and food delivery industries, have opted to invest more in automation.

By March 2023, the Great Resignation showed signs of petering out with fewer people quitting their positions as the job market became more competitive.

[92] Although unemployment remains under four percent and job growth continues to be positive,[91] fears of a possible recession and improved working conditions have prompted many employees to stay where they are, leading to a drop in the monthly rate of quitting.

[32] By July 2023, there were signs that of significant expansion of the U.S. labor force thanks to women of prime working age, disabled people, and immigrants (both legal and illegal) seeking employment.

However, he noted that the health care, retail, transportation and industries were still facing a labor shortage,[32] and that 2019 still saw a historically high rate of quitting.

[95] Economist Adam Posen of the Peterson Institute for International Economics argued that the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic was that it had enabled low-income workers to move towards higher-paying jobs, with dividends for the U.S. economy in terms of workforce participation, wage growth, and productivity, a trend not seen in other G7 nations.

Those who participate in tang ping instead choose to "lie down flat and get over the beatings" [citation needed] via a low-desire, more indifferent attitude towards life.

[107][10] The U.K. workforce got smaller in 2020, the first time in over twenty years, largely due to older people retiring according to Tony Wilson, director of the Institute for Employment Studies.

[108] However, by August 2022, many British workers have returned to their previous positions after quitting and some elderly Britons have opted out of retirement in order to pay their bills in the wake of high inflation.

[111][112][113][114] Fans and media outlets drew connections between the Great Resignation and Beyoncé's 2022 song "Break My Soul", specifically in the verse "Now I just fell in love / And I just quit my job".

[115][116][117] The South Park episode "DikinBaus Hot Dogs" features a plot in which businesses are able to hire children due to the labor shortage caused by the Great Resignation.