According to the latest data from the US Department of Labor, around 4 million workers decided to quit their jobs in April. This marks a 20-year high for voluntary job resignations. Coincidentally, April also witnessed a 20-year high for job openings.
The statistics provided by the Labor Department reveal that businesses across the nation were seeking to fill a total of 9.3 million job positions by the end of April, showing a 12% increase from March. The most significant declines in employment were observed in retail, food service, and accommodation sectors, with minor decreases seen in teaching, mining, and logging.
Expressing concern, Suzanne Clark, the president and CEO of the US Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the severity of the worker shortage. She stated, “The worker shortage is a real and escalating problem. It poses a serious threat to our country’s economic recovery and growth.”
In April, a record-breaking 4 million Americans decided to quit their jobs. A considerable number of them were employed in the retail industry, which is facing a significant labor shortage. https://t.co/u0EVO5LPRs
— Business Insider (@BusinessInsider) June 9, 2021
Despite efforts to administer vaccinations and reopen customer-facing retail establishments, the extended period of lockdown has reshaped the job market landscape. Several retail and fast food chains have experienced difficulties in staffing recently; incidents where fast food outlets displayed signs stating “nobody wants to work anymore” became viral in April and May. Allegedly, these businesses were understaffed due to employees either quitting or refusing to work. The challenging work conditions attributed to the pandemic have prompted many workers to reassess their career choices and demand better compensation and benefits.
Reflecting on the issue, an anonymous Dollar General employee shared, “Even for stay-at-home moms seeking part-time work, earning less than a hundred dollars a week at $7.25 per hour for only 10 hours is not worthwhile anymore.”
