Navigating the Great Resignation: ideas for employers

Nearly two years into the COVID-19 pandemic, people in a variety of careers and of all ages and socioeconomic levels are reevaluating their priorities and, in many cases, making career moves. While stories of people leaving their jobs and often their homes in urban centers for a less fast-paced life have become common, the reports aren’t just anecdotes.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has data documenting how millions of Americans have left jobs in recent months. Occupational stress and a desire for change are weighing on the people leaving jobs and their employers as well.

So what’s keeping those job-leavers up at night? Surveys indicate it’s often a desire for better pay and more flexibility along with a longing to feel valued. What’s keeping their employers up at night? Worries over how to cope with employee losses and how to stop the exodus.

A look at numbers

In October, the BLS reported that the number of “quits”—people voluntarily leaving their employment—increased in August to 4.3 million. The quits rate increased to a series high of 2.9%. Quits increased in accommodation and food services, wholesale trade, and state and local government education. Quits were down in real estate and rental and leasing.

Various organizations have reported surveys showing that the persistent pandemic is sparking soul searching among employees. Several polls have found that huge numbers of people who haven’t already quit their jobs are considering making a change and are on the hunt for more money, more flexibility, more fulfillment—just more.