About 20 million Americans quit their jobs in the first five months of this year in what became known as the Great Resignation. Many are now regretting the decision, according to new research. More than a quarter of job leavers are reconsidering whether they made the right move, according to a study of more than 15,000 job seekers conducted over the past three months by Joblist, an AI job search platform. The surge in resignations has been linked to Covid risks in the workplace, new opportunities created by working from home and a general sense that Americans are re-examining their work lives amid the turmoil of a pandemic. The level of job installations this year is about double what it was a decade ago. But the Joblist survey found a number of reasons why some leavers are having second thoughts. Many Americans now feel a greater urgency to find work amid signs that labor market conditions are poised to change. About half of job seekers expect the job market to worsen over the next six months. Also, among those who found a new job after resigning, 42% say it did not meet their expectations. Some also found they missed colleagues. “Social connection is often underrated,” says Kevin Harrington, CEO of Jobseek. “Many people spend as much time at work as they do with family and friends. For those who build strong personal relationships with colleagues, it can have a huge impact on how they view their work and how likely they are to stay in it.” The level of regret varied by occupation. Healthcare workers, who are under enormous pressure from the pandemic, were the least likely to feel they made a mistake, according to the Joblist survey, with just 14% of those who quit their jobs saying they regretted it.
