Daniel Costa
Assistant News Editor
U.S. — There is a class revolution currently undergoing in the United States; however, it is not the revolution that Karl Marx would have predicted. Instead of taking up arms, American workers are turning in their two weeks in unprecedented numbers.
Per NPR writer Andrea Hsu, 4 million workers left their employers in the month of April. In August, that number increased to 4.3 million. Many reasons were given for this economic phenomenon, but the greatest overall factor was undoubtedly the COVID-19 pandemic. Workers who felt frustrated at long hours, stagnant wages and mental burn out embraced the online format most companies switched to as a result of this pandemic. However, with employers switching back to the in-person work spaces, the control workers had over their time and environment is being reverted back to their employers.
Much of the resignations came from the food service industries. Workers who hesitated to leave their employers due to the economic uncertainty of the pandemic took advantage of the gradual loosening of restrictions to search for other opportunities.
As a result of the manpower shortage, those seeking employment have a unique situation in which the balance is slightly in their favor. With a greater demand for workers comes a demand from workers for better pay.
Other sectors that experienced a higher amount of employee resignation included the hotel industry, for much of the same reasons restaurant employees left their occupations. However, other industries in the American economy remained relatively stable, largely due to a lingering online work presence adopted by the companies of those industries.
The effects of “the Great Resignation” appear to have a correlation with a disappointing September employment growth report. The Dow Jones estimate for employment growth for September was 500,000, but only 194,000 jobs were added to the economy. Nevertheless, wages increased as the demand for employees did. Factors such as these could point to a relationship between the mass departures present throughout this year and an economically weak September. There are other factors contributing to the assault of the country’s economic gains as well, from disrupted supply chains to the ever present COVID-19 pandemic.