The Great Resignation: Workers’ Experiences with Job and Education Transitions

Within our survey, one-third of respondents lost (18 percent) or quit (16 percent) a job since the start of the pandemic. Among this group, 45 percent have not returned to work. Two-thirds of those not returning to work identified personal considerations for their decision, such as retirement (20 percent), taking care of home and family (17 percent), illness or disability (16 percent), or not feeling safe looking for work due to Covid-related concerns (14 percent). Fewer respondents reported that their reasons for not returning to work were due to challenges with the labor market, such as an inability to find work (10 percent) or dissatisfaction with available jobs (5 percent) (See Figure 4).

Personal considerations played a bigger role for women than for men. More than three-quarters of women who have not returned to the workforce cite retirement, caregiving responsibilities, or health and safety considerations. For men, the split between personal considerations and challenges with the labor market was more even. Compared to men, women were more likely to report taking care of home and family and illness or disability as factors in not returning to the workforce. Men were more likely to report not being able to find work and not being satisfied with available jobs (See Figure 5) .

Of the survey respondents who have voluntarily changed jobs since March 2020, most were pursuing positives rather than fleeing negatives. The top three motivations for voluntarily changing jobs, accounting for just under half of job changers, were to have more opportunities to advance at work, increase their pay, and find a better fit for their talents. Nineteen percent of job changers were motivated to exit a negative work situation, reporting dissatisfaction with their previous role or a desire to reduce stress (See Figure 6).

The biggest motivation for women who voluntarily changed jobs was to find a better fit for their talents, identified as the primary reason by 20 percent of female job changers compared with just 7 percent of men. For men, the top two motivations were to have more opportunities for advancement and to increase pay. More men than women also reported dissatisfaction with their previous job (14 percent) and the wish to reduce stress (10 percent) (See Figure 7).

Across all respondents who reported any type of job change — employer, pay, hours, promotion — satisfaction with the change was evenly distributed with approximately one-third of respondents not at all or not very satisfied, one-third somewhat satisfied, and one-third very or extremely satisfied (See Figure 8).

Analyzing satisfaction levels according to type of change and motivation for change reveals greater variation. Workers who initiated their employment change or who experienced promotion or advancement were more likely to be very or extremely satisfied (66 percent and 55 percent respectively). Those who quit a job (without starting a new job) and those who were promoted had equal rates of satisfaction at 47 percent (See Figure 9).

Even among workers who voluntarily changed jobs, their satisfaction with the job change varied greatly depending on their motivation for making the change. Workers who were motivated to make a change in order to have more opportunities for advancement, or to exercise more control over their workload or work environment, reported the highest levels of satisfaction. Workers whose job change was motivated by a desire to leave a negative situation also tended to be satisfied with the change, with almost two-thirds reporting that they were very or extremely satisfied with the job change. The lowest rates of satisfaction were reported by workers seeking a more consistent paycheck (33 percent) or those hoping to do work that helps more people (28 percent) (See Figure 10).

For those who enrolled in postsecondary education or training since the start of the pandemic, considerations related to career were top of mind. The biggest influence on their decision to enroll was whether they believed the program would result in a good job or opportunities for career advancement (See Figure 11). Fully 80 percent of those who enrolled selected this as an extremely or very important factor. Program flexibility and the ability to take classes while at work was a very or extremely important factor for more than two-thirds of those who enrolled. Together, the importance of these factors indicate that education decisions are shaped by workers’ future career aspirations as well as the responsibilities and demands of their current roles.

Flexibility was a more important factor for women than men, and for students of color compared with white students (See Figure 12).

Of individuals who have not enrolled in postsecondary education since the start of the pandemic, 39 percent reported that the primary reason was a lack of confidence in the value of postsecondary education. Even among people who had reported in an earlier survey that they were likely to enroll, a lack of confidence in education’s value kept nearly a quarter from doing so. The biggest barrier for people who had been likely to enroll was concern over cost, reported by 28 percent (See Figure 13).

Concerns over balancing education with work, child care, and other responsibilities were the third-biggest barrier and was of particular importance to parents. More than one-quarter of parents identified this as the primary reason for not enrolling, compared with 9 percent of people without minors living in the house (See Figure 14).

At the start of the pandemic, as layoffs and fears of job loss shook the global labor market, one-third of Americans reported that if they lost their jobs,¹⁵Strada Education Network. (2020, April 1). Public Viewpoint: National Overview. they believed they would need additional education to replace it. This percentage stayed relatively steady¹⁶Strada Education Network. (2021, July 27). Explore Public Viewpoint Data: COVID-19 Work and Education Survey. throughout the first year of the pandemic, with roughly one-third anticipating that they would turn to education if they lost their job. With our current data, we can examine the educational decisions people actually made as they navigated workforce disruptions.

Consistent with our earlier findings, more than half of people who lost their job reported that they were interested in education, the highest percentage among any type of job change. However, people who lost their jobs were among the least likely to enroll and had the largest gap (45 percentage points) between interest and enrollment. Concerns about the cost of education, which our data show to be a persistent and formidable barrier to enrollment, may prevent those with a sudden loss of income from starting a program, even those who are interested in education.

Yet cost was not the biggest consideration. Among those who lost their jobs, 31 percent identified a lack of confidence in the value of postsecondary education and training as the primary reason for not enrolling, while 26 percent identified cost as the primary reason (see Figure 13). People who experienced a pay cut and people who experienced a pay increase were equally likely to pursue education, with 9 percent of people in both groups enrolling.

Among everyone experiencing an employment change, people who voluntarily changed jobs were the most likely to enroll, reporting a 19 percent enrollment rate. The second-most likely group to enroll was workers who were promoted (17 percent). Higher enrollment rates among these groups may indicate that people are more likely to turn to education when they feel agency in their career trajectory or experience success in their career progression (See Figure 15).

This pattern is reflected in people’s perceptions of employer-provided training. Previous research has found that workers believe their employers should bear some cost for their training, and 42 percent of workers feel that employers’ involvement in their education makes for a better learning experience.¹⁷Strada Education Network. (2021, February 24). How to Help Americans Get Back to Work. As workers navigated job changes during the pandemic, their interest in employer-provided training varied greatly by the type of change they experienced. Those who made voluntary job changes, whether quitting a job or leaving one job for another, reported the most interest in employer training. This may be another indication that people who feel in control of their employment decisions are more likely to seek out education (See Figure 16).

However, the high rate of interest in employer training among those who quit their jobs — with 71 percent saying they were very or extremely likely to pursue education opportunities provided by their employer — could also suggest that a lack of training opportunities, or a perceived need to gain more skills to perform their job successfully, could prompt some workers to leave their current role. The importance of employer-provided training is reflected in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Good Jobs Principles, which include access to educational opportunities as well as opportunities to advance.¹⁸The Good Jobs Initiative. Good Jobs Principles. U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Labor.

Beneath the buzz of the Great Resignation lies a complex set of experiences and motivations driving education and workforce transitions. Our research finds that most often, people who voluntarily sought out different employment did so because of a positive, forward momentum to seek advancement, new opportunities, or a better fit; far fewer people were primarily motivated by negative feelings of dissatisfaction or stress. In the words of a May 2022 New York Times article, these workforce transitions “brought less giving up and more trading up.”¹⁹Goldberg, E. (2022, May 13). “All of Those Quitters? They’re at Work.” New York Times.

Among those who have enrolled in education since the start of the pandemic, most experienced a positive career change, such as a promotion or a voluntary job switch. On the flip side, we saw that people who lost their job were the most interested in education — but barriers like cost and doubt kept them from enrolling. These findings suggest that people experiencing a range of employment changes believe that education could benefit them as they navigate new opportunities. In addition to addressing persistent barriers such as cost and schedule flexibility, clearer understanding and greater certainty about the connections between education and employment opportunity appear to be a key for engaging adults who are interested in enrolling but do not act on that interest.

The following implications may help more individuals benefit from postsecondary education as they navigate career transitions:

• Flexible programs and opportunities to learn on the job can make education more accessible for individuals balancing education with work, child care, and other responsibilities.
• Understanding a strong connection between education and economic and career opportunities is a powerful motivation for pursuing postsecondary education and training.
• Employer-provided training has clear value for workers who are navigating career transitions. With almost three-quarters of people who quit their jobs saying they would be interested in employer-provided training, providing this training could be an effective strategy for engagement and recruitment.
• Cost remains a persistent barrier to pursuing postsecondary education, even among those who say they are interested.
• Individuals who have lost their jobs show consistent interest in pursuing postsecondary education and training but lack confidence that it will benefit them in addition to experiencing financial or other barriers to enrolling.

For workers weighing career transitions, opportunities for advancement and education can contribute to a sense of meaning and achievement. As people consider the ways in which education can support their career development, strengthening connections between education and labor market needs can lead to better outcomes and a greater sense of confidence in education’s promise. Together, these strategies can move our workforce from a Great Resignation to a great resurgence in career preparation, development, and fulfillment.

Results for the Strada Work and Education Recontact Survey are based on a survey fielded by Gallup using web data collection from Feb. 16 to March 10, 2022, with a random sample of 4,502 adults ages 18 to 65, living in all 50 states and Washington, D.C.

Samples were weighted to correct for unequal selection probability and nonresponse. Demographic weighting targets are based on the 2018 American Community Survey figures for the ages 18 to 65 population. The data were weighted to match national demographics of age, education, gender, race, ethnicity, region, labor force participation, and population density.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion polls.