Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that in the last half of 2021, more than 28 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs. Hospitality, transportation, and healthcare were among the professions that lost the most workers.
The COVID-19 pandemic is contributing to this mass exit of workers, according to WETM. Matthew Burr, consultant and adjunct professor at Elmira College, says long work hours and long commutes also play a role, with many Americans preferring to work remotely.
“I also think that bad management and bad leadership [as well as] toxic culture play a major role in it as well,” said Burr.
One thing is clear: People across the county are reassessing their priorities in the wake of the pandemic.
“I think COVID realigned some stuff for people and [they] said, ‘work isn’t the priority, my family [is] and my work-life balance is much more important to me,’” said Burr.
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