>
Record numbers of Americans have quit their jobs since 2021, and the Great Quit shows no signs of stopping anytime soon.
New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows how the trend has played out, including the cumulative number of resignations since January 2021, and which industries have been hit the hardest, according to an animated graph from statist.
By November 2021, nearly 48 million Americans had quit their jobs, surpassing the previous record of 42 million quitting in 2019.
And according to the latest JOLTS report, 4.2 million Americans left their jobs in November 2022 alone, bringing the total for the year to 46.6 million.
The Great Quit was sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic, when tens of millions of Americans voluntarily quit their jobs. Some of the reasons given were inflexible remote work policies and a lack of benefits during an unprecedented time.
New data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) shows how the trend has played out, including the cumulative number of resignations in the United States since January 2021.
But it appears to be more than just a trend, as figures show that monthly resignations have not dipped below four million since May 2021.
While employees are leaving the workforce in droves, employers are struggling to fill vacant positions, it’s reported.
A primary reason given was that employees are no longer willing to put in the time or work for the pay or working conditions that existed before the pandemic.
“I certainly think the pandemic has led many people to reevaluate their work, their priorities and what they want to do,” Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute, said in a statement to Business Insider. reported Statista.
The increased number of job openings has also given workers the advantage, as they have the opportunity to find a different job with potentially better working conditions and the possibility of significantly higher pay.
Data shows that monthly resignations have not dropped below four million since May 2021
After the pandemic, during which most office workers went fully remote for an extended period, companies have scrambled to put in place new policies around working from home.
Disney CEO Bob Iger ordered all employees to work at corporate offices at least four days a week, two months after he returned to run the company.
In an email Monday, Iger said the new rule would go into effect March 1 and stressed the importance of in-person collaboration. CNBC reported, citing a copy of the note.
“As I’ve been meeting with teams from across the company for the past few months, I’ve been reminded of the tremendous value of being together with the people you work with,” Iger reportedly wrote.
“And in a creative business like ours, nothing can replace the ability to connect, observe and create with peers that comes from being physically together, nor the opportunity to grow professionally by learning from leaders and mentors,” he added.
Disney’s four-day mandate to work in the office is relatively strict compared to other major companies, most of which require workers to be in the office two to three days a week.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has ordered all employees to work at corporate offices at least four days a week starting March 1.
Disney ‘Imagineers’ are seen at work in a company photo. Company workers must return to corporate offices at least four days a week from March 1
Google parent Alphabet and Apple instituted three-day work-in-office requirements last year.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, asks workers to spend at least half their time in the office, though any employee who can work from home can apply for approval to work remotely full-time.
Twitter’s new owner, Elon Musk, has laid out the toughest rules, requiring all workers to work full-time in the office after laying off more than half of the company’s workforce.
A Gallup poll last summer found that among employees able to work remotely, just 22 percent were on-site full-time.
Forty-nine percent worked in a hybrid arrangement that combined remote and in-office work and 29 percent were completely remote, the survey found.
In the image: Twitter headquarters in California. Elon Musk laid down the toughest rules, requiring all workers to work full-time at the office after laying off more than half of the company’s workforce.