Tuesday, November 23, 2021

Do Americans Just Not Want To Work?; Millions of Americans Tell Their Bosses ‘I quit’; The Great Resignation, and related stories

llustration by Greg Groesch/The Washington Times
Do Americans just not want to work?
Labor-force participation levels are not rebounding, worrying economists
America is facing a looming crisis: It seems able-bodied adults just don’t want to work.
It’s not because there’s a lack of jobs. It’s estimated there are currently 11.2 million job openings, compared to 7.4 million Americans out of work. In September, 4.4 million quit the workforce altogether.
Amid a labor shortage, businesses are scrambling to keep their operations running. Many have lowered their requirements on hiring, eliminated background checks, stopped requiring a college diploma or related work experience, and hastened their application process. Others are offering increased benefits, more pay and flexible time.
Yet, despite these new incentives, about 1.4 million fewer adults ages 25 to 54 are working or looking for a job now than in February 2020, a month before the pandemic hit.
The Biden administration promised this spring that the passage of its $1.9 trillion “American Rescue Plan” would lure mothers back into the workforce, as much of the money would be allocated to school reopening.
Most schools are now completely back in session, but the share of prime-age women working or looking for a job remains depressed – 75.4% in October compared with 76.8% in February 2020.
In September, enhanced unemployment benefits ran out – meaning folks could no longer make more by sitting on their couch than by working – and yet many decided not to return. --->READ MORE HERE
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Millions of Americans tell their bosses ‘I quit’:
In September, a record 4.4 million people flipped the table and walked out saying, “I quit.”
When Olivia Rodrigo released the song “Brutal” in May and lamented, “I'm so tired that I might / Quit my job,” she was echoing the angst of many American workers. In September, a record 4.4 million people flipped the table and walked out saying, “I quit,” according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). That’s up from the 4.3 million who quit in August, so the Great Resignation shows no sign of receding. The quits rate, which measures the number of people who voluntarily resign against total employment, is now the highest it’s been since December 2000.
Kevin Viani is one among a nation of quitters. He left his warehouse job at Amazon in July. After resigning, he drove past the distribution center in Everett, Washington, he used to work at. He recalled that seeing people walk out and looking exhausted made him think, “Damn, that was me...I’m glad I’m not there.” He no longer has to wake up at midnight to get to his 10-hour shift, which started at 1:05am every Thursday–Sunday.
People are experiencing burnout due to living and working through the pandemic, and some employers aren’t empathetic. In a recent Gallup survey 74% of Americans surveyed said it’s a good time to find a quality job. Transportation & Logistics, the employment category that encompasses jobs including truck drivers and warehouse pickers, is one of the lowest rated categories for work–life balance, according to a study by Glassdoor. “The pandemic has forced them to reevaluate their priorities,” Daniel Zhao, a senior economist at Glassdoor, said. He offered further explanation of the trend: “Whether that’s better pay, better work-life balance, and better career opportunities, they’re not getting what they need.” The Great Resignation is really the Great Discontent. --->READ MORE HERE
Follow links below to related stories:

+++++The Great Resignation+++++

A record 4.4 million people quit in September as Great Resignation shows no signs of stopping

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