The Great Resignation: Shifts in the Labor Market

A record number of Americans quit their jobs this year. Today for our special series “Quitters,” economist Darrick Hamilton examines why that is — and why he thinks it might be a good thing.

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Many Americans have reconsidered their relationship with work this year.

There’s lots of reasons for that — an ongoing pandemic, stagnant wages and a severe labor shortage all made work harder.

But Darrick Hamilton, a professor of economics and urban policy at the New School, says that workers also had more flexibility than ever before, thanks to government stimulus and expanded unemployment. And he wants us to reframe this not as a “Great Resignation” but as a moment of worker empowerment.

Today on Post Reports, we’re bringing you the third installment in “Quitters,” a three-part podcast series about a few of the millions of Americans who quit their jobs this year. 

Listen to part one and part two here.