by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) periodically measures the “quit rate” in the U.S. job market, and voluntary separations (quits) rose to new highs in recent months.
Based on BLS estimates, about 29% of the workforce will quit their jobs this year.
What does this tell us about the workforce?
Unhappiness Abounds. Researchers have found that individuals usually change jobs in response to some kind of pain or difficulty they’re attempting to resolve.
Willing to Risk. When someone leaves a job, they usually take another one. At this juncture, there has to be a belief that better opportunities are readily available.
Recruiting is Active. People rarely leave jobs without some sort of external prompting. The prompting can come from a friend, a business associate, recruitment marketing, or direct contact with a recruiter.
It may seem counterintuitive, but some of the most active recruiting happens when the unemployment rate is low and the job market is strong.
It’s the time when many people find the courage to make a change.