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The Great Resignation Movement, and Why I’m a Part Of It
Millions of people are quitting their jobs and employers are dying to know why.
I saw the hashtag #GreatResignation on LinkedIn today. Someone announced their resignation from a popular tech company and claimed themselves a part of this movement.
I never thought about the movement much. I’ve been in the throes of new motherhood and building a business, so when I paused to think of my involvement in the Great Resignation, I decided to look inward at my role in one of our country’s crises.
I’ve heard the phrase thrown around on the news. I’ve listened to disgruntled employers claiming they can’t find employees. And I know many people who have either quit their jobs or never returned after a furlough.
If you’ve been living under a rock — or like me, just been pandemic parenting — the Great Resignation is a movement in the United States where an unprecedented number of people are quitting their jobs.
According to inc.com, 11.5 million people have quit their jobs in the last 3 months, and over half of the American workforce is looking for other opportunities.
That’s a lot of turnover.
Some people think it’s because we’ve received bookoo bucks through stimulus payments. Others think it’s because we’re sick and tired of the rising cost of living and stagnant wages. But those causes are not binaries; they are the opposite ends of a spectrum. Inside that spectrum exists 11.5 million reasons folks have decided (or been forced) to venture into new opportunities.
Stimulus checks and unemployment are easy explanations
They’re not the whole picture.
People in both the service and creative classes are quitting their jobs. At face value, it’s easy to point to the influx of money we received from good ole Uncle Sam. And while that money was nice — it wasn’t why I decided to start my own venture. It didn’t completely fund it.
I was partially furloughed in the late Spring of 2020. I was also heading into my second trimester with my first child. Like many people, I had no idea when (or if) I’d be invited back…
