Mar 10, 2022 - Economy & Business

Why workers quit jobs

Reproduced from Pew Research

Low pay was the top reason why workers quit a job in 2021, according to a survey conducted in early February and released by Pew Wednesday.

The big picture: People also quit because they felt disrespected.

  • 48% said child care pressures forced their hand; while 18% cited vaccine requirements.
  • 78% of those who quit a job say they are still employed.

Why it matters: Last year Americans quit their jobs at record high numbers and the pace of quits has only slowed slightly this year.

  • The quits rate declined slightly to 2.8% in January, according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary released by Labor Department yesterday.
  • Quitters aren't leaving the workforce; they're likely getting different (presumably better) jobs, as economist Elise Gould points out in a thread on Twitter.

The bottom line: We hear from a lot of employers and consultants these days about ways workers can be made happier. Seems like the answer is fairly simple, actually.

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