In early 2022, we are already seeing the largest number of vacant positions for businesses in decades. Close to 1.5 million in just education, retail, healthcare, and hotels and restaurants. But why? To dig into this, let’s take a step back to 2020 and see how the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the workforce.
At the beginning of the pandemic, many small businesses and large companies failed due to their lack of adaptability and the major shift in lifestyle changes that occurred on a worldwide scale. With this came a long list of government benefits that gave employees time to figure out where and who they want to be working for. Businesses and companies that did survive and/or succeed did so in a number of ways such as remote work options and better benefits. In the following two years, small businesses offered many incentives to get people to return to work and larger companies made remote work a much more viable option.
Corporate America has seen a major shift due to the amount of remote work options available. With this, Americans are migrating across the U.S. at a rapid pace, choosing more valuable and affordable housing. Employees are quitting their jobs across the nation to find a happier life and search for a number of different career opportunities. Companies are now eager to offer signing bonuses, tuition reimbursement, and other great benefits to attract employees. Companies know there is plenty of work to be done, but employees and people looking for jobs currently have all of the leverage, so they need to give them a reason to come back to work.
Given the number of great options out there, many Americans don’t feel the need to rush back into a job right away. This gives the opportunity to pursue not only the job they want, but the life that they want. If you are out there looking for a job, there is no better time to step into the workforce. But take your time! Ask yourself at every opportunity, “Is this for me? Is this what I want to be doing? Will I be happy doing this?”
Why are Americans choosing to quit their jobs in record numbers?
