The Great Resignation Has Not Slowed in 2022

People continue to celebrate quitting their jobs on social media and are encouraging others to join them.

The phrase "The Great Resignation" refers to an unheard-of mass of people quitting their jobs worldwide over the past year. People were quitting for a variety of reasons in 2021, including bad management, poor working conditions, and a lack of personal freedom. When it appeared that their organizations or fields of work were no longer the correct matches, large numbers of people left for better positions.

In 2021, an estimated 47.8 million individuals in the United States left their job of their own accord, the highest number of resignations recorded by the Bureau of Labor Statistics since it began collecting data on such matters in 2001.

In 2022, the movement hasn't shown much indication of slowing down. In just one month, over 4.4 million people quit their jobs in the United States. Since the start of the pandemic, this practice has extended to most countries in the world, and examples of this can be found across the internet.

Social media has been tracking the course of the Great Resignation 

A string of buzzwords connected to quitting has taken over people's feeds on social media. On TikTok, the hashtag #quittingmyjob has over 120 million views, with posts ranging from vulnerable, furious, or freeing. This group includes videos with similar content, such as individuals describing the working conditions that pushed them over the edge and offering unique perspectives of their own situations.

Take, for example, TikTokker's @saygracee23, who published a two-and-a-half-minute video in February while claiming she was going to quit her profession. The video got over 1.2 million likes on Instagram. The TikTokker's personal tipping point was apathy over a family emergency after her employers allegedly urged staff to come to work despite testing positive for COVID.

TikTok videos and other forms of communication have become increasingly narrative-like and in-depth, demonstrating a lack of compassion at work and the resulting pressures that millions of workers all around the world face.

The term "great resignation" has over 158 million views on TikTok. Many individuals have utilized social media to discuss their reasons for leaving jobs, while others have taken advantage of the opportunity to start fresh. Stress and emotional exhaustion were some of the most common reasons, which included mental health issues, toxic workplace relationships and interactions, lack of boundaries, and gaslighting.

In other locations online, the somewhat notorious and frequently-discussed Reddit forum — r/antiwork — has opened up an entirely new way. The Reddit debates are divided into those who think we should not work at all and those who want things to leave us more satisfied than they have in the past. This area is full of sociological books, political theories like Marxism, debates about labor conflicts, and internal conflicts. 

However, on Twitter, most people rejoice at taking the step to quit. Following their notice, Tweets discuss how their mental health improved considerably or how they may finally pursue a passion career they had previously avoided. Many individuals are reconsidering their priorities and what an ideal career — and work-life balance — should be like as a result of the current economic climate.

The pandemic created a desire for compassion and empathy. When employees do not feel this in leadership, their desire to leave is unquestionably exacerbated. Many individuals were driven to new heights of stress and worry as a result of the pandemic, therefore employers must demonstrate both empathy and compassion. Leaders must spend time comprehending people's issues, foster an open-door policy, and possibly give paid days off to improve mental well-being.

As a result of the global pandemic, Gen-Zers, like millennials, are seeking employment in locations where they feel valued. Gen Z's job transitions have increased by 80 percent. According to recent studies, 56 percent of Generation Z and 55 percent of millennials would leave their employment if it impacted their personal lives.

People are reassessing what matters most to them, determining the traditional corporate career ladder is no longer relevant, and seeking things such as more flexibility and work-life balance. The exit of workers in 2021 has continued to gain momentum into 2022, but what does this signify for the future? When it comes to working from home, the majority of people believe that you should seek out the finest possible work conditions.

The desire for more security has also fostered a new generation of workers that are no longer willing to settle. They want a more healthy workplace, as a whole, which is the aim of worldwide resignations.

This is not something that everyone can do, and it is, in fact, a luxury to make this transition. While the jobless rate has fallen to 3.6 percent in March 2022, the long-term effects of the pandemic are still felt by many families, who have seen their earnings drop. To be able to leave a job implies that you can do it or are in a position to.

The Great Resignation, in other words, is for individuals desiring enhanced working conditions, having the ability to do so, and thinking that if not knowing where the ideal environment may be found. According to the statistics, there are a significant number of people who identify with this category.

It appears that the desire to quit is here to stay at least until one finds the proper venue for them. The hunt for a profession now incorporates a variety of criteria, including the agency, social connections, and purpose.