“Great Resignation” Continues with Record Numbers

Led by bar and restaurant and retail employees, a record 4.3 million workers resigned in August, according to U.S. Labor Department statistics, reports CNBC.

“As job openings and hires fell in August, the quits rate hit a new series high, surging along with the rise in Covid cases and likely growing concerns about working in the continuing pandemic,” said Elise Gould, senior economist at the Economic Policy Institute.

A total of 721,000 retail workers left their jobs in August, while 892,000 workers in the food service and accommodation industries and 534,000 in healthcare and social assistance followed suit. Among the reasons for resigning include health concerns and child care issues created by the pandemic.