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Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn
A survey of American workers by job seeker resource ResumeBuilder.com released in September 2021 revealed the “Great Resignation” that has caused a high number of voluntary “Quits” in 2021 is not over as 1 in 7 workers surveyed – approximately 15 percent of the workforce – said they plan to quit their jobs before the start of 2022.
Resignations peaked in April 2021 with nearly 4 million Americans quitting their jobs that month and they have remained abnormally high for the last several months, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which also reported that a record-breaking 10.9 million open jobs existed at the end of July 2021.
To determine whether this job exodus would decrease in the remaining months of 2021 or what percentage of the workforce were still planning to quit their jobs before 2022, ResumeBuilder.com surveyed 1,250 employed U.S. adults in August 2021 and asked if they planned to quit and, if so, why. Key findings of the survey included:
- 15 percent of the workforce was planning to quit their jobs between September 2021 and December 2021.
- 1 in 5 had not decided if they want to quit their jobs.
- 40 percent of computer and Information Technology (IT) employees were quitting between August 2021 and December 2021.
- 1 in 5 Millennials were planning to resign in the coming months, the most of any age group.
- Among workers who did not plan on quitting their jobs, 58 percent would consider leaving if offered a better salary and benefits elsewhere.
- 19 percent of those not planning to leave their jobs would do so if they were required by their employers to get the COVID-19 vaccine.
- Male respondents were roughly twice as likely as female respondents to plan on quitting their jobs before the end of the year, by a rate of 20 percent to 11 percent.
Of the 15 percent of respondents that intended to resign between September 2021 and December 2021, 39 percent said they would resign in September 2021, 20 percent said they would resign in October 2021, 17 percent said they would resign in November 2021, and 25 percent said they would resign in December 2021.
The survey found 50 percent of respondents said better pay and benefits were the primary motivator to quit jobs. Other top reasons why people were seeking new job opportunities were starting their own business (44 percent), looking for remote work (43 percent), and finding a job about which they are more passionate (41 percent).
“This is an excellent time to seek out a better-paying job,” explained a Career Counselor who reviewed the survey. “We are seeing, particularly in industries that are experiencing labor shortages, companies that are figuring out ways to attract and retain their workforce, including offering higher wages and perks like college tuition.”
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