Topline
More than half of Americans surveyed who quit their jobs amid the “Great Resignation” of 2021 are now earning more money and have a better work life balance, though nearly one in four are making less, according to a study published by Pew Research Center on Wednesday.
Stressful businessman packing a box for quit a job.
Key Facts
Some 63% of respondents said low pay or no opportunities for advancement were a major or minor reason why they quit, compared to 57% who cited feeling disrespected at work, 48% who cited issues with child care and 45% who cited lack of flexibility with choosing their hours.
Compared to their last job, 56% of respondents said they are now earning more money, 20% said their pay stayed the same and 24% said they are now making less.
Since leaving their last job, 53% said they now have more opportunities for advancement, compared to 31% whose growth opportunities stayed the same and 16% who said theirs decreased.
More than half, 53%, said it’s now easier for them to balance work and family responsibilities, compared to 29% who said this stayed the same and 18% who said it got harder.
People aged 18-29 quit their jobs more than other age groups, with 37% of people who quit their job last year falling into this category, and 24% said they identified as being “lower income.”
Pew surveyed nearly 1,000 people online Feb. 7-13 who voluntarily left their jobs last year.
Tangent
Vaccine mandates played a small role in respondents’ decisions to quit their jobs. Only 8% cited their job’s mandate as a major reason why they quit, and 10% said it was a minor reason.
Further Reading
A surge of Americans quit their jobs last year, with a record 4.5 million voluntarily leaving their positions in November and 4.3 million quitting in December. A January survey of executives from accounting firm PwC found that while 77% of leaders said hiring and retaining talent was “critical” to their growth, only 31% said they implemented and planned to keep increasing employee compensation through sign-on bonuses and non-scheduled raises.
Further Reading
Record 4.5 Million Americans Quit Jobs In November As Employers Struggle To Retain Workers (Forbes)
Near-Record 4.3 Million Americans Quit Jobs In December As Layoffs Hit Lowest Level Ever (Forbes)
Executives Say They’re Worried About Keeping Talent. Less Than A Third Say They’re Committed To Keeping Increased Pay. (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/marisadellatto/2022/03/09/more-than-half-of-americans-who-quit-their-jobs-last-year-now-earning-more-survey-suggests/