The Labor Department said that 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, or about 3% of the nation’s workforce, from 4.3 million in August and far above the pre-pandemic level of 3.6 million.
There were 10.4 million job openings, down from 10.6 million in August, which was revised higher.
This record-setting pace of people quitting their jobs has been dubbed by economists as “The Great Resgination”.
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Around 4.3 million people quit in August, the most on record dating back to December 2000 — and 300,000 more than in July, according to the Labor Department report, primarily consisting of restaurant workers and retail workers.
The people who quit in the last two months are the equivalent of 3 percent of the US workforce.
Hiring in August also plunged sharply — down to 6.3 million from 6.8 million in July — despite the number of available jobs remaining near record-high levels.
Read more: Here Are The Reasons Why Americans Are Quitting Their Jobs In High Numbers
In the past year, open jobs have increased 62 percent, though available jobs did fall to 10.4 million in August, from a record high of 11.1 million in July.
Quits in August at restaurants, bars and hotels jumped 21 percent compared to the previous month for a total of 900,000.
According to a survey done by IBM, 30 percent of Americans would quit if they were forced to go back to the office instead of being allowed to work remotely.
Prioritizing their happiness and mental health seems to be at the forefront of people’s minds and Americans are recognizing that a new mindset is needed to improve quality of life.
Read more: Americans Are Quitting Their Jobs in Record Numbers. But WHY?
This great shift is prompting employers to raise wages and offer promotions to keep their talent pool.
Economists agree that if workers were more willing to make career switches, this could lead to a more dynamic workforce and higher wages.
Economists cite many reasons for that decline: Some are mothers unable to find or afford child care, while others are avoiding taking jobs out of fear of contracting COVID-19.
Read more: Half of Unvaccinated Workers Would Rather Quit than Get a Shot?
Stimulus checks this year and in 2020, as well as extra unemployment aid that has since expired, has given some families more savings and enabled them to hold off from looking for work.
Businesses in other countries are facing similar challenges, leading to pay increases and higher inflation in countries like Canada and the United Kingdom.
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