We’re not the first outlet to take note of the ongoing Great Resignation. But, we did think it was interesting to parse this data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. They track hire rate (the portion of the workforce that takes a new job) and quit rate on a monthly basis, and the increasing trend in both has been happening ever since the financial crisis of 2008-2009.
What seems to be new is the pace of the hiring and quitting, which has accelerated significantly since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In the chart above, you can see this play out with the initial drop in hiring and quitting in March and April 2020, followed by a quick ramp up in both up to current levels, which are the highest they’ve been in 15+ years.
If you’re interested in labor statistics in the United States, check out our recent post on employment rates by English-speaking ability.