You may have heard of the Great Recession of 2008, where people were struggling to get any kind of job. These days? Thanks to what’s been deemed the “Great Resignation” of 2021, employers are having a hard time keeping employees and are desperate to hire!

That’s right, people are LEAVING their jobs without any other prospects lined up, and employers are desperate to find qualified people to work for them.

Don’t believe us? The stats are crazy: In May 2021 alone, 3.6 million Americans have quit their jobs. That’s down from the month before, with almost 4 million leaving their jobs in April!

It sounds like an easy problem for employers and employees alike—so may jobs opening up? It’s probably pretty easy to find a dream candidate for an employer or a dream job for an employee. But the problem is that neither are easy—at least, not in the post-pandemic world we live in.

Yes, of course COVID has something to do with all of this. You see, after companies went remote for so long, people had a very long time to think and reflect on what it is they really want from a job. And after a year of working from home—perhaps while homeschooling their kids or taking care of a load of other responsibilities—their mental health began to drown.

The ironic thing is, however, that people really do like working from home. While it may mean that personal and work life overlap sometimes, it gives people the freedom for some balance (e.g., throwing a load of laundry in right before a 2 p.m. meeting on a Wednesday).

So what gives? Why quit?

The changing point was when many employers began to require coworkers to go back to their offices. People realized that they needed to prioritize their mental health, and determine what is going to really make their life worth living. So people began to leave their job to reevaluate their priorities and find a job they’d rather be working out than their current one.

At this point, many people realize that they aren’t fulfilling their true hopes and dreams—that their job really doesn’t bring them the joy they hoped, especially in this new, weird time. Even people who never thought they’d leave their job are deciding that quitting was going to be the best thing for them right now.

So what jobs are hiring? What are people actually interested in doing with their careers? And how are people really feeling more than a year and a half into a global pandemic? Check out this NBC segment to learn more about the Great Resignation!

Can you believe so many people are leaving their jobs? Do you know anyone who has left their job recently? Have you ever considered it?