The Great Resignation in the United States: A Study of Labor Market Segmentation

During 2021 and 2022, many news media outlets have reported that millions of workers in the United States been quitting their jobs record numbers. In a global economy rebounding from economic downturn caused by Covid-19 outbreak demanding more workers, high rate resignations has exacerbated labor shortages may be aggravating unemployment underemployment rates if are not participating at all force or only working part time. Many reasons offered to explain this ‘Great Resignation’ including day care costs for parents turn causing trend lower female participation; supposed ‘liberating’ experience work home instead having one’s usual place during quarantine/lockdown periods; stagnant/low wages greater job tenure uncertainty which make less attractive stressful; feeling wanting further bad bosses management who create environments so resignation becomes means escape such conditions. This article analyses data US trends since 2003 demonstrates trending upward aggregate quit mostly higher within industries. These phenomena can explained concept market segmentation, unemployment, exist even good times some industries, minority group composition wage stagnation, type managerial supervision. Some these same factors help under-utilization than national/aggregate industries as well.