It is no secret by now that the past year and a half have been quite tumultuous, especially when it comes to employment. The COVID-19 pandemic turned the job world upside for many. Some jobs became scarce. Many employers couldn’t find anyone to work at their business. Some people were laid off, while others had to work longer, more arduous hours. And some people may never have to go into the office again.

Needless to say, things have been quite peculiar!

Last spring, as the cloud of the pandemic began to lift with vaccine rollouts, what is now being called the Great Resignation began. Workers from all fields began to quit at alarming rates, just as jobs were added back into the economy. This was troubling, as most of us had already suffered enough throughout the pandemic. 

But why did so many people decide to quit?

It seems as if the pandemic has changed the way people think about their lives and employment. People are starting to think more about their quality of life. Spending more time at home without many chances to go out and socialize had people rethinking where they would like to live. Having to work from home or working in dangerous public spaces has also changed the way people look at their employment. 

Workers are looking for better wages and work environments as inflation rises, and the pandemic seems as if it is here to stay. Others are looking to make up for lost time and income due to the economic troubles that came with the pandemic.

But there is a bright side.

It seems as if many businesses are out of luck without finding employees. But it is not all bad news coming out of the employment field. Many companies have decided to give more incentives to their current and future employees to keep them around. As the world changes, this is welcome news to the labor force. Jobs are being added quickly since September, and unemployment rates are going down. 

As the economy is slowly getting back on track, things may still be a little bizarre for the time being. But we hope things will start to normalize as early as next year. And maybe a “new normal” will emerge as well.