By now, I think most of us have heard a new term being used in newsrooms, on zoom calls and around the watercooler - The Great Resignation. Originally used by Texas A&M University professor Anthony Klotz, the term has now gained so much traction that it now has its own Wikapedia entry. The Great Resignation has been used to describe the unprecedented amount of people quitting their jobs in 2021. But where are all of these workers going and how for long will this go on?

When we look at the over 30 million individuals who have resigned during 2021, we see various trends and rationale. Older workers have reported that they are deciding to retire at an earlier age, caregivers who were secondary earners have decided to stay home with school aged children, and some workers are simply taking advantage of the employee job market. At the end of last year, the Department of Labor reported that 4.5 million workers left their jobs in November. On average, more than 3.95 million workers left their jobs each month in 2021!

But what about 2022? We find ourselves asking if this trend has followed us into the New Year. The truth is it is a little too early to tell! The Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) from January 2022 is scheduled to be released on March 9^th.  Check back with the Smith Law Firm for all your up-to-date Department of Labor news!