We’ve all heard by now of The Great Resignation, a term that has been flooding inboxes, social media, and research reports since last spring. Coined by Anthony Klotz, a Texas A&M professor of Organizational Psychology, the Great Resignation predicted a mass exodus from the workforce.
Anthony was right – and what unfolded became larger than anyone could have imagined.
In the first year of the pandemic, the U.S. resignation rate fell to a seven-year low of 1.6% but, as the pandemic continued, workers began quitting their jobs in droves despite there already being massive labor shortages and high rates of unemployment, a behavior akin to a widespread strike. Four million Americans quit their jobs in July 2021 alone, which resulted in a record-breaking 10.9 million open jobs.
