With now hiring signs showing up outside many businesses, Americans of all professions have become familiar with the term “the great resignation.”
Almost 3 percent of the workforce quit their jobs in August, the highest such percentage ever reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Sol Melton, owner of a staffing company in the Central Texas area, said he jokingly coins the movement as the great disappearance for recruiters.
“Our biggest issue has been trying to find talent to go to work," said Melton. "People are relatively staying in those positions once they get there.”
Melton said what his recruiters are struggling with is unemployed individuals no longer seeking entry-level positions.
“One thing we did as an organization was we did our give back campaign and that was designed to try to attract new talent to apply for our roles," Melton said.
Staffing agencies like Melton’s are moving in unison with many companies that are not only providing incentives but changing previous policies to incorporate a more flexible work environment.
Amazon the second largest employer in the US, announced in June that it is excluding marijuana from its pre-employment drug screening programs. The company said, "we’ve found that eliminating pre-employment testing for cannabis allows us to expand our pool.”
For many, like Jennifer Chance, these new opportunities on the table were worth making the move. Chance left her long-time profession as a lawyer and became a realtor this September.
“I was spending most of my time in flight or fight mode," said Chance.
Chance said she continued to stay within her industry, even after a health crisis two years ago.
“For me, there was just a lot of doubt and maybe even a little shame involved," said Chance.
According to Chance, "the great resignation" is encouraging the Amereican workforce to pave a different path for themselves. Chance said this is because there is power in numbers.
“When a lot of people are doing something it can be easier to do that thing as well," said Chance.
This past year has shown American workers the influence they hold in our economy, and in the direction of their own lives.
