The Great Resignation: Workers who resign often find regret later

DAYTON — It’s the biggest movement in the job market in decades. Economists call is the Great Resignation and they warn it is far from over.

New numbers from the federal government show that U.S. businesses had 11.3 million job openings to fill in February, slightly more than economists had predicted.

February’s numbers were slightly below December’s all-time high of 11.4 million. Overall, 4.4 million American’s quit their jobs last month. The Labor Department said a total of 47 million Americans quit their jobs last year.

News Center 7 recently discovered that now some of those people regret leaving.

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At Five Guys in Dayton, they are offering almost $15 and free meals to people who want to work there, but a lot of people in the community say they’re still struggling to find a job right now.

A recent nationwide Harris poll found that one in five workers who quit now regrets that decision.

“Employers are hiring across the board,” said Chris Kershner, President and CEO of Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a tough job market right now.”

One reason is that unemployment in Dayton is low at 3.2 percent.

“So that means that pretty much everyone who wants a job has a job,” Kershner said.

He goes on to explain the job market is touch for another reason. “The pandemic has changed things. Technology has been more infused through our jobs,” Kershner said.

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Despite industries such as healthcare, manufacturing, and technology clamoring for workers right now. “Sometimes the skillset doesn’t match up so that’s the tough thing,” he said.

Another reason why people are having resignation regret is “When there’s uncertainty in the world, people look for trust. Who can they trust and who’s always been there for them?” Kershner said.

He said people often find trust in their jobs. “In some polling, the No. 1 trusted organization is business. They put their trust in their employer and in their business.”

If you are looking for work right now, Kershner said you may want to make sure that you’re looking for the right job that matches your skillset.

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