The Great Resignation Is Here – Top Reasons Why Workers Are Leaving Their Jobs

Written by Paul Sacca on

Overall, more than 38 million Americans quit their jobs in 2021 – including an all-time record 4.5 million who resigned in November, which was an 8.9% increase from October and broke September’s 4.36 million. The Great Resignation is here. But what are the top reasons why employees are quitting their jobs in droves?

Why Are People Quitting Their Jobs?

Cengage Group is a global education technology company. They surveyed 1,200 U.S. adults across a variety of industries who had quit their jobs in the past six months or are “seriously planning to quit their jobs” in the next six months. Furthermore, the findings of the poll revealed the top reasons why Americans are quitting their jobs during the Great Resignation.

According to the Cengage Group survey, these are the top five reasons why workers either quit their jobs or are considering resigning:

  • 91 percent: I wanted to make more money
  • 89 percent: I felt burnt out and unsupported
  • 83 percent: I no longer felt like I was growing in my position
  • 82 percent: The pandemic made me reconsider my priorities and/or professional goals
  • 81 percent: I have other passions or a different career path I want to pursue

“The research is clear: while the pandemic has caused stress and grief for millions, at the same time, the disruption of the past two years provided space for workers to evaluate and assess their priorities and their options. Millions of workers are changing how they think about work, their purpose and the impact of their careers,” said Michael E. Hansen, Cengage Group CEO.

“As millions reconsider what is important to them – in life and in their next job – there is an opportunity for employers to reconsider how they support employees’ well-being and professional growth, both to recruit new talent and retain existing employees,” Hansen continued. “As the CEO of a global company, I’m acutely aware of the opportunity we have to evaluate our hiring practices and expand learning and development opportunities for employees.”

RELATED: Why Stay Interviews Have Become Essential In The Great Resignation Era

What Industries Are Workers Considering For Their Next Job?

Workers are willing to stay out of the workforce to focus on obtaining training for their next job. The convenience and accessibility of online training have empowered Americans to maximize their non-working time in acquiring new skills and education through online training.

For instance, the poll noted that 78% of designers have completed or were currently enrolled in an online training course or certificate program at the time of the poll. There were 64% of the respondents who said that having an online training program on their resume is essential in landing a new job.

For example, there were three industries in particular that resigners were pursuing an education in for their next job or career:

  • Finance & Insurance (24%)
  • Technology (24%)
  • Healthcare (20%)

What Are Workers Looking For In Employers?

Moreover, those who had quit their jobs were zeroing in on employers who offer certain advantages. The top responses were good benefits (33%), better pay (23%), and clear opportunities for professional growth (22%).

What States Are Seeing Workers Quit Their Jobs Most?

According to WalletHub, these are the top 10 states with the highest job resignation rates:

  1. Alaska
  2. Wyoming
  3. Georgia
  4. Kentucky
  5. Montana
  6. North Dakota
  7. New Hampshire
  8. Vermont
  9. North Carolina
  10. Maine

RELATED: The Happiest Jobs In 2021 And The Employees In The Most Unhappy States

[mohamed_hassan on Pixabay]