Quitting begets more quitting, a challenge that employers cannot always solve with raises or perks
Cat Del Carmen, left, and Erika Cruz, in Los Angeles on Jan. 17, 2022, are not exactly mourning having left their jobs. According to Labor Department data, more than 4.5 million people left their jobs voluntarily in November 2021, a record high in two decades of tracking. (Michelle Groskopf/The New York Times)
Something infectious is spreading through the workforce. Its symptoms present in a spate of two-week notices. Its transmission is visible in real time. And few bosses seem to know how to inoculate their staff against this quitagion.
It catches quickly.
“There’s a shock when you see multiple people leaving; it’s like, oh, is there something I’m not seeing?” said Tiff Cheng, 27, who left her job in digital marketing in July along with five of her close friends at the 40-person agency. “Is it my time to leave as well?”
Quitting rates were high in August, September and October. Then, according to Labor Department data, they climbed even further: More than 4.5 million people left their jobs voluntarily in November, a record high in two decades of tracking.
Economists explained the numbers by noting that competition for workers led to better pay and benefits, driving some to seek new opportunities. Psychologists have an additional explanation: Quitting is contagious.
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