- Washington Post columnist looks at how workers have been covering expenses while out of work during the “Great Resignation”
- Some have opted to resign early, while others are reassessing their priorities and getting by on savings
- Financial pressures will compel some workers to return to the labor force, but are likely to impact what kind of jobs they’ll seek
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
People who have quit their job during the “Great Resignation” have been opting to retire early, get by on savings, or rethink their job hunting priorities, according to a recent column by Washington Post business columnist Karla L. Miller.
Miller followed up a previous column on why workers have been quitting to showcase responses to a query on how people have been surviving financially after resigning. She noted how employees who are leaving their jobs are often doing so out of frustration with their current employer and don’t have a new job lined up, forcing them to come up with ways to cover expenses in the interim.
- Some people have been opting to retire early, noting that doing so allows them to rely on retirement benefits and Social Security while saving work-related expenses such as commuting costs
- Other respondents said they are using their time out of work to reassess their needs, relying on savings to cover costs
- Some workers acknowledge that financial pressures will compel them to return to the workforce, but that shifting circumstances are impacting what kind of jobs they’ll seek
- Miller’s previous column cited elevated stress and dissatisfaction with their employer’s response to COVID-19 as major factors driving worker resignations