As Labor Day approaches there is a lot of talk about jobs, getting jobs and quitting jobs.
One headline about the latest jobs report says, “Pace of hiring slows but job market is still strong”.
Indeed it is. The Labor Department this week said there are roughly two open jobs for every unemployed person in the U.S right now.
Many businesses, especially the restaurant business, can’t find enough new employees, with some restaurant owners having to shorten their hours of operation or even the number of days they are open because they don’t have enough workers.
At the same time, the percentage of American workers who quit their jobs set a record earlier this year and has only dropped slightly despite higher costs for everything due to inflation.
One explanation is that the labor market remains stacked in favor of workers, so they see a chance to get a new job that pays more with lots of businesses paying more to fill their unfilled jobs.
But some have said that something just as significant is the reason why more people are quitting their jobs.
The two and a half year long pandemic has led to a lot of people re-thinking what they want to do. When life deals you a jolt, like COVID has done for all of us, there is a time of self-reflection and self-evaluation and that can lead to changing jobs and seeking new kinds of careers.
On this Labor Day weekend, there are probably people spending this time off thinking about laboring in a new and different job.
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images