The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) released the job openings and labor report for August today [DATA HERE]. The data shows that 4.3 million U.S. workers voluntarily quit their jobs in the month of August. This is a significant jump from prior.
The “Quits” section [Table 4 breakdown] shows quits increased in August to 4.3 million (+242,000). The quits rate increased to a series high of 2.9 percent. Quits increased in accommodation and food services (+157,000); wholesale trade (+26,000); and state and local government education (+25,000). Quits decreased in real estate and rental and leasing (-23,000). The number of quits increased in the South and Midwest regions:
While this data is interesting and significant, it is only one data point within the larger U.S. main street economy. Rather than me extrapolating on this data, I would like to hear your perspective based on your own local feeling about what is going on in your area.
Key points of reference would include:
- While this is potentially related to vaccine mandates, the time frame in August is before the Biden mandatory vaccination requirement made on September 9th.
- Housing prices overall (macro level) were/are high. There is a lot more home equity amid working class families who own homes. This could translate to a greater ability to change jobs or cash out for a longer financial plan.
- Workers in the real estate and leasing segment did not quit.
- The highest quit rates were in the regions with the lowest cost of living.
- Inflation is massive
I am interested to read your opinions on what could potentially be the largest contributing factor based on your town, city or neighborhood.
Ignore the financial pundits. The question is: what do you make of this?
Jennifer Psaki was asked about this quit jump and she was poorly briefed in order to answer the question. She is clueless.
Question:
Can the stats be equated to size of population?
For example,DO metro cities, such as Atlanta, have inordinate Quits rates vs. rural areas in GA? If so, one contributing factor is crime drastically increased since Mayor Bottoms let BLM take over metro ATL summer of 2020 and crime continues to escalate drastically in Buckhead/Atlanta, since Bottoms ran off many LE dues to not backing the blue in summer 2020. LE went to rural counties at no loss of pay. LE ATL PD numbers in Zone 2 are down. So, why work when you can steal knowing that there’s a good chance of never paying for the crime.
In September the Fulton County DA was begging for help.
https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/fulton-county/fulton-county-da-begging-help-before-dozens-suspected-murderers-possibly-released/27DH2JZDVBB2ZLXE5S2JJQSZ3A/
Also, a USPS manager told me the reason my 120-acre condo complex wasn’t getting their mail delivered (one time it was non-delivery for 9 days) is because carriers were paid more to stay home.
I’m in south georgia. We good. I went thru atlanta a couple of weeks ago, and my family decided, you can have all of it. Don’t care to go up north again. Traffic horrible. We go south. Much better and much better on the nerves! Don’t understand why people live this way.
I’m planning on moving to Florida in the future. Many things to work out first. All of metro ATL is lost and surrounding counties. Rest of GA is good to go!
Was up in Tucker Ga. taking care of grandson and could’nt believe the stupid yard signs these people have in their yards. I always wear my Live Free or Die shirt and my MAGA visor when I am up there and they look at me as if I had three eyes. Thank goodness her house will be finished in Florida by January and I will never have to go to Atlanta area again. Its a shame because I lived in The Johns Creek area before it was a city and loved it.
Look at NE Florida where I live. It is mostly rural and the housing prices are much lower than most parts of the country. My wife and I and our six cats moved from the totally corrupt city of Charlotte, NC to just outside Callahan Florida.
We bought a brand new house on 43 acres of land complete with a pond for more or less what we sold our old falling down house in Charlotte for that was on only 0.2 acres. 9 years later we pay half the tax on our massively larger new property than we were paying for our old house in Charlotte.
Seriously, look at the Callahan area as well as the town of Hilliard. There are still some great buys here. We are really close to Jacksonville where one can get the best medical care as well as there being plenty of shops in the surrounding area such as in Yulee and of course their is great fishing on Amelia Island.
Really sounds lovely. I grew up in Florida and sent 4 mos there every year. We kept my mom’s home on S Hutchinson Is. which I love. Taxes are skyrocketing though. When I returned to ATL this year after being free four all summer Atl looked awful to me. The process of moving is overwhelming to me.
I came across this neat site and get Mr. Miller’s newsletter . He write about all the off the road small FL towns. You might enjoy it. http://www.BackRoadsTravel.com. Thanks for the info. I’ll tuck it away.
Wow…43 acres?!? You are living the dream. Am here in Charlotte myself and my family and I are looking for that miracle to get us out! Have a wonderful new adventure.
The mountains are cool but the Metro sucks. I will stay in N. Florida.
We are in Hilliard Florida located on the east coast in Nassau County. We absolutely love it here.
In my immediate family in the last 2 months, one quit, but moved to a red state and got another job, another one quit and plans to stay home with children – also moving to a red state, one quit due to mandatory jab in education – will move if spouse also is required to be jabbed. People I know of, once removed, I can think of a dozen households that are in process right now of quitting their jobs, and moving to red states, some have new jobs, some do not. All that to say, the quitting has just begun. Expect the next report to be even more severe. Many have figured out how to downsize or become their own boss in order to make this work. What I’ve heard, twice removed – hospital workers in CA especially, just like teachers, and law enforcement, and firefighters, all threatening to walk if the mandates are imposed. CA is loosing their brightest and best – but the Pelosi and Feinstein crime families do not care because they already made their money.
Never thought I’d see the day in this country where people would flock from one state to another for the sake of freedom.
Well, according to the Redhead’s word salad ..”safe”is feeling people are looking for. To feel safe, is how her answer ended. Next question : “ Safe? From what ?”
I haven’t felt “safe” at all since Spring 2020.
The vaccine mandates came at the same time federal unemployment ended. Like they haven’t studied human nature or something.
Well you seeing it happen. Some states got good SANE people working and other states got dumb people running the government. We got some dumb butts in Georgia, but the rural parts are great.
It’s here, Ma’am.
Boy, that is the truth about the CA crime families.
What we see here in York, SC is the same as it’s been for 14 months or so. Lower wage staff aren’t working as much, bc they get federal money. Not state employment, plus they went back to school.
In our hospital people are walking the hell out because they are exhausted, under-appreciates, burned-out, and have had it with all the SARS/COV crap and they are reevaluating their lives. They don’t like the gubmint’s or their emoloyer’s boot in their damn necks all the time. Just like Sundance says…people will reach decisions and make choices…plan accordingly. And let me give my fellow Treepers a hint…it ain’t gonna get NO betta!
And they’re making working conditions miserable with the masks – here in CA anyway.
Reporting in from the northern NY suburbs of Westchester/Putnam/Dutchess counties.
I don’t know why nobody seems to be talking about this but there are a few big factors that explain what’s happening. First and foremost is the unemployment benefits that many people were able to get for the first time in their lives thanks to our President Trump.
This includes gig workers and business owners, many of whom, in the past, have had to spend hundreds of thousands on unemployment insurance/ workers comp for their own employees. These people were never able to collect unemployment previously but because of the new “pandemic” money they were able to collect $20,000, $30,000, $40,000 or more for a year without having to work.
Many smart people (like some of my relatives) saved the money or used it to pay off car loans, mortgages and debts. In my experience, there was not a lot of “mad money” spending and this extra gave people a lot more freedom and time to think about what was going on and what they want to do with their lives. Now they are getting cash in the bank for their kids, I think it’s $250 or $300 a month. Another incentive to stay home.
Then we had all of the moms who were able to stay home from work to home school their kids because basically if they didn’t do it, the kids wouldn’t learn anything.
This turned out to be a major mistake on the part of the education establishment as parents around here have totally freaked out when they found out the horrors that were going on in the schools. This was the start of the parents movement that we are seeing today.
The moms who stayed home witnessed first hand the pornography, the propaganda, the BLM, Antifa garbage, hatred of America- all the stuff that their kids were being indoctrinated with- and they vowed that this was going to stop.
I have never seen political activism in my town and nearby like I am seeing in the past year or so. The moms are pissed and now they have time and motivation to fight. Their eyes have been open edand they can’t un-see what’s going on.
As somebody else mentioned, the underground economy is alive and well and getting stronger. People are selling their stuff in all kinds of markets including the obvious online places. Neighbors are exchanging services for goods and vice versa. All very old fashioned.
Finally, another big factor is the muzzle masks. NOBODY wants to wear a face diaper all day and in NYS most businesses like food and retail insist on forcing their employees to wear them. Believe me, if there is any way someone can get out of that they will. Also, downstate and in NYC they have the vax mandates too which is putting a lot of people out of business.
These are sure interesting times we live in.
“Then we had all of the moms who were able to stay home from work to home school their kids because basically if they didn’t do it, the kids wouldn’t learn anything.
This turned out to be a major mistake on the part of the education establishment as parents around here have totally freaked out when they found out the horrors that were going on in the schools. This was the start of the parents movement that we are seeing today.
The moms who stayed home witnessed first hand the pornography, the propaganda, the BLM, Antifa garbage, hatred of America- all the stuff that their kids were being indoctrinated with- and they vowed that this was going to stop.”
I have been pointing this out for some time now. They made a yuge blunder when they made the kids stay out of the classrooms. So many parents got to see first hand exactly what was been pushed into their children’s head. It opened up a lot of eyes. Like so many other things that have come to light. The horrific public school system cannot be unseen now.
So true. My son attends a private Christian school. Enrollment increased almost 15% in 2020 and over 30% this school year.
Excuse me, but here in Calif. this has been obvious for the last 30 years. The corruption of the schools is so endemic that it has become an accepted way of life. A clue to all this has always been Teacher’s Union SEIU. I was at a Labor Day parade about 30 years ago where SEIU members were marching. They flag they were carrying was the Hammer & Cycle and not the Stars and Stripes. It should have been a clue, but very few seemed to be upset or even care. This is our own fault. President Ronald Reagan warned us on numerous ocassions about the need to be vigilant because true Democracy and freedom were fragile and required constant vigilance. This was not done by the current outgoing generation and here we are today. Sadly, the blood of patriots will once again have to be spilled if Americans are to remain truly free.
Lots of people got busy living their lives. Yes, it should have happened sooner. Many Americans were taught to respect certain individuals and institutions. I am happy that so many eyes are now opened. I am not going to trash them.
You raise some real good points, especially about political activism, which I’d venture to say is a national “side effect” from this Covid nonsense.
I sure hope so. We need to unite against all of this.
A well thought out and excellent post Seneca.
Thanks for your kind words- very much appreciated!
Cheers Seneca.
I truly appreciate your posts and am particularly motivated with your enthusiasm.
My personal daily goal is to trash the MSM at any given opportunity.
They are the true purveyors of evil.
I
m seeing the same in western NY. Hardly any difference in the help wanted signs paying $15 to $22 an hour. Healthcare employees have had it along with factory workers. We worked through whole thing no masks, distancing, etc. Large factory we changed nothing 1 guy got covid and hospitalized 68 2 packs of smokes a day, with a couple of heart attacks in past. A month later he was back 7 days a week. That
s with 500 employees! We had some asymptomatic later no issues. August 2020 someone complained to govt. about masks. Many refused, lots of bosses didn
t care. Then the harassment started about distancing in lunchroom. Mask above nose so your glasses steam up while operating heavy equipment. Guys retired, quit on spot. I opted to get surgery from comp injury there. Now they have IDs for vaxxed, and unvaxxed. I won
t go back if it doesnt change. Wife is in healthcare, and may leave state even with victory on religious exemptions. Lot
s of home schooling happening, and it will increase.It is really a shame that NY seems to be getting worse by the day.
Outside of the Downstate area, most of the counties are Red right leaning.
I still believe our President Trump won both times.
I believe the shut downs last year and even the current situation with threats of vaccine mandates and a general malaise have made many rethink their lives. I think households have decided to work fewer hours, or be one income, or retire early etc.
I personally know 6 different couples that downsized their houses this Spring Summer to cash out all that equity during the boom and have started a sort of pre-retirement, retirement. Meaning going PT, changing to a lower paying job they want to do, or one spouse retiring early, etc.
No examples for this, but I also believe many workers realized they didn’t need as much money during the lockdowns and changed their habits so they are able to work fewer hours or jobs in their household than they previously thought.
Just eating at home most of the time greately improved our financials.
We’ve been backsliding and eating out more again and I can see it in my waist line.
Many restaurants around here are cutting their evening house due to staffing problems.
Bingo, Lulu!
Yep we all learned we could do without a lot of stuff.
You hit the nail right on the head Lulu. I’m a Executive Recruiter who places engineers and skilled trades people in North America. Many of the most talented people with that ” tribal ” lifelong experience at work are doing exactly what you stated. My clients can’t find people with the skill sets they need because the Boomers ( like me ) have worked hard, invested well, downsizing and living a more simple and rewarding life. While my business is thriving I’m having to work harder than ever to help my clients. That’s OK though.
Treasure Coast of Florida here. I am retired so not looking for work but what I see is everyone else seems to be moving here and looking for work.
There are jobs available everywhere but the rental cost has gone way up over this year and affordable rentals seem hard to come by. Housing prices have increased by at least 10%. Every condo in my huge complex is under contract or sold.
Canadians are not coming back but other snowbirds are arriving. Lots of folks from the NE moving here full time.
Restaurants are open and seem to be doing well but everybody is looking for help. People on fixed income are going to be more squeezed with inflation so may be out working part time.
Interesting.
We are located in the Greater Vancouver area of British Columbia.
Just this morning a fellow coffee B.S. artist like me, stated that he was at a going away party for a group of retired neighbours that were heading to Florida for five months.
They have given up on California and although they could afford a couple of months in Hawaii their concern is that the government there is nuttier than ours here in Canada.
So it’s off to Florida apparently the 8 to 9 hour flight is worth it.
We may have try a month or two there ourselves.
The Treasure Coast..I must look it up.
If you visit Florida, please join us on the Forgotten Coast or the Emerald Coast of Florida for a tour also. It would be great if we could meet sometime. Much respect.
I moved down here from the Skagit Valley in Washington so I know your area well.
I play bridge and there are a lot of bridge players that come from Canada to this area because our bridge club is one of the largest. But it’s been closed since 3/15/20 and may never open again.
None of my Canadian friends are coming down because they can’t drive over the border. And maybe no bridge club. They can fly but need a car for 5 or 6 month or 180 day stay. At least that’s what they told me. And it’s interesting because there are many people who think Florida is raging with the Covid and can’t believe people here go around without masks.
Treasure Coast because the 1715 Spanish fleet loaded with gold and jewels sunk off the coast in a huge hurricane. People have fun going to the beach with metal detectors.
the ministry of truth news is promoting this as people left their jobs to get another one
(because jobs are able to pay more in Biden’s economy)
Texas governor said his order applys to all texas citizens irregardless of federal employment or contracting or whatever.
“no entity” may require a covid vaccination for employment
I quit with the mask mandate and the jab was coming. Told my super to take that mask and put it where the sun don’t shine, sideways and walked out. One day later I wad told to either come to work or quit. At 72, I’ve had enough of this bulls hit!
Pa, you are the G.O.A.T. Kudos.
In the last few months we’ve had multiple staff and Machinists quit for higher paying jobs. 6-8 Sales Engineers that don’t want to go back to the office (located in Austin, Fremont,Ca and Washington. One Process Engineer that got a higher paying job in R&D in another industry. No vax mandate yet. Lot’s of higher paying jobs for people willing to look. I’m a Plant Manager for a mfg company in Western NC.
I feel your pain Kevin. We are in a Catch 22 situation currently.
Yes, there are several people in my complex in NC who have been working from home and have no desire to return to the office. Some have to check in once a week and hate it. I do know some people who have had the extra unemployment since this whole thing started; one neighbor had a baby. I doubt she will ever return..why should she..paid to have a baby and stay home to care for it. Her husband just got a good job…so all is well. I do know an uber driver who cannot wear a mask for health reasons so the has been on unemployment forever. If my company demands vac I will wait for them to fire me or whatever…I am not getting a job that requires a vac or wearing a mask so I will then be unemployed…have savings to live a couple of years…will buy a van or camper if necessary and live out of that. Rather be homeless than comply..could be interesting.
It will be over next year at latest.
Know of someone in Pennsylvania whose aircon went out last summer. And it was hot!
Repairman said it would take thousands because replacement parts were jot available.
And then… another repairman said he could fix the old aircon unit for cash, he had figured out a way to replace the parts.
Underground economy. Cut the bloated murderous oppressive government out of the loop… and use ingenious solutions instead of throwing everything away and replacing frequently
What you speak of has of course been going on for a very long time.
What’s interesting is the trend is accelerating dramatically.
When I was a youngster I the late sixties and very early seventies. “ moonlighting “ was rampant in every trade and business in our Scottish town.
North America is on that trajectory. Unless one can use a receipt for a tax deduction why not go “underground. “Everything is available “underground “
What this Scamdemic has done, is shown the thinking individual just how much their tax dollars are squandered.
Especially medical care, immigration and the military 88 Billion in armaments left for terrorists, never mind the human tragedy.
Cheers to all!
>>”While this is potentially related to vaccine mandates, the time frame in August is before the Biden mandatory vaccination requirement made on September 9th.
Yes, but many employers already had mandates in effect AND many are intentionally misclassifying their terminated employees as “voluntarily resigned.”
I think you nailed it. “Voluntarily resigned” means he wasn’t fired, so there is no culpability. Where firing could have liability.
Could it be one parent has decided to stay home and homeschool their children? I know that there are many reasons and I hear the complaints about ‘no one wants to work’ all the time but there has to be something more to it.
Yes. The schools were shutting down repeatedly, and women especially who wanted to be reliable but could not predict the next childcare shutdown, decided to just go with the flow and stay home. Because that was where they were going to be anyway, when schools run part time.
Bingo you win the internet.
Most working mom’s saw a net 200 dollars a month gain from working after child care.
More good news in 12 years high school seniors will be better educated better socialized, less likely to suicide or do drugs and more likely to build strong families.
So FJB but I love unintended consequences.
So want to scare the hell out of a leftest? Tell them nuclear families are coming back.
Don’t you know the high fives are rampant in the swamp with this number. “Job well done! We’re gonna punish them now…hahaha” …laughing in a diabolical Beltway kind of glee.
Meanwhile in the rest of the country:
This young man gets it,
“When I want my men to remember something important, to really make it stick, I give it to them double dirty. It may not sound nice to some bunch of little old ladies at an afternoon tea party, but it helps my soldiers to remember. You can’t run an army without profanity; and it has to be eloquent profanity. An army without profanity couldn’t fight its way out of a piss-soaked paper bag. … As for the types of comments I make, sometimes I just, By God, get carried away with my own eloquence.” Patton
Patton = Jon Gruden
Let me say this because I get Patton and wish fervently there were more out there today like him!
My son says to his men: “Try not to SUCK!” Short, to the point, but yet they get it!
He is battle E for those out there that understand what that means!
Young, in his 30’s and not giving in one inch in the takeover. There are very good folks out there in all branches of our service, men and women.
They fight the good fight for us and do not give up! Know that exists in this troubled time.
Peace and God Bless!
I have an opinion on this:
“Housing prices overall (macro level) were/are high. There is a lot more home equity amid working class families who own homes. This could translate to a greater ability to change jobs or cash out for a longer financial plan.”
Housing prices are not high, they are extremely high. Equity like this is not an I’ll sell my house for that price. If you do and buy a less expensive house it will be a major downgrade to what you lived in. ALL home prices are extremely high so you will downgrade.
It gets worse for first time home buyers. Look back at 2004-2008.
Back in 2004 my children were in middle school. They are now college graduates and buying homes. They are being driven into the same everlasting trap.
Inflation goes wild, people buy overpriced homes, Interest rates go up, homes values drop, and defaults grow.
And just like in 2004-2008 – Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
SoCal. North San Diego County. I can’t speak for south county (MUCH more affluent), while mostly life goes on normally, there seems to be a strange mix of tension/apathy in the service/retail areas. Even big businesses are having some trouble keeping a workforce. Around here it seems to be general worker laziness mixed with employers thinking it is still 2010 and they can bully people. They don’t put up with it, they just quit. Actually, they don’t quit, they just stop showing up. A lot of truck drivers (I deal with them all day at work) are working LONG hours because they’re having trouble hiring to keep up with demand. It’s worse for large distributors (Coke, Frito Lay, Nabisco, etc.) as they have problems all the way down the line. Shortage of people at the warehouse as well as drivers and merchandisers. Also, they’re rotating product like farmers do crops. Example, one week there will be all the Diet Coke in the world, but no Coke Zero. Next week, Coke Zero but no Diet Coke. Next week, bunch of 24 packs of Coke, but no Twelves, or vice-versa. Not quite Communist Cuba, but no longer the ‘have whatever you want now’ situation to which folks around here were accustomed.
I’ve noticed the random coke product availability on my local N.CA Safeway shelves. Really odd.
I actually HAD to buy ‘caffeine free’ Diet Coke last week as there were NO regular Diet Cokes on the shelf.
Yeah … not a life changing event. But. Is it the canary in a coal mine?
So when we all get our UBI checks … will I still be able to find Diet Coke? Seems unlikely …
That diet stuff is worse for you than straight Coke.
It’s true, it messes with your gut bacteria.
Why are you buying a coke? You should be boycotting that company. In fact, we should be boycotting them and calling them to let them know. Imagine the effect on that woke-ass company of thousands of people did that.
Depends on what “voluntary quit” means does it not?
Smallish town WY here. Help wanted signs all over, and some are offering above the bernie dream of $15/hr. Some fast foodies are drive through only, and close around 7pm. Our schools are CDC compliant, and parents have taken their kids out of them which may have had a little impact. The restaurants took the covid hit back in 2020, and only allowed take-out which eliminated many wait staff jobs. I believe many just found work elsewhere. Not too many other businesses affected in other fields.
I heard Hobby Lobby is paying $19 an hour..
What’s up with Wyoming and the CDC school protocol? I saw a girl was arrested for not wearing a mask there recently. What’s up with the governor?
South Cental KY here. I work department store retail. We’ve lost at least 6 in the last couple of months. Most who quit were college age. They didn’t have another job to go to, just didn’t want to work anymore. Some turned in notice, others just didn’t show up. My manager told me she’s never had so many no-shows for interviews or people who didn’t show up on their first day of work. It seems like they’re not concerned about money and I’m assuming they’re given it by their parents. If anyone ever saw that movie about Firefly and the planet Miranda where all the workers just stopped caring….well…
We’ve been understaffed for two years at the large supermarket where I work. I live in a college town in south Louisiana. At first I blamed the free covid money but now I blame student loans and state handouts. Local students are offered loans that pay for living expenses on top of free state money that pays for tuition and books. The amounts offered are almost more than the annual salary of a first year teacher. (I’m a former teacher in this state.). They all assume they’ll be able to pay it back once they graduate and get a job. Problem is, college is a revolving door. They can quit, then go back, repeat. As long as they’re enrolled, they don’t have to make payments.
Higher education is enslaving our young people as well as indoctrinating them to be lazy socialists.
Most of our employees are highschool and college -aged students. Lately, we’re lucky to find any young people willing to take these jobs.
.
Perfect summation of college : “Higher education is enslaving our young people as well as indoctrinating them to be lazy socialists.”
I think part of it is people going out on their own. Louis Rodman, a “YouTuber” out of NYC did a video about people not returning to demeaning jobs. An example he used was a nail stylist telling her old job to pound sand. The shut-down forced her to do work on the side and she learned she could make more on her own.
I think we’re at an inflection point where people aren’t gonna put up with crap, the vaccine mandate is just one trigger.
I also wonder if the requirement to wear a mask all day might also be part of it. I don’t know how people do it. I always feel sorry for the grocery store people when I see them all masked up. You expect it and are trained for it when you sign up as a nurse or Dr, but not a retail person. Weird.
My wife does surgery, she hates the masks. She only wears it rounding at one hospital because she doesn’t want her and her doctor to get in trouble, again!
Well, it turns out their new and improved communism is the same as the same ol’ communism that never worked before.
Communism has never worked and never will. Can’t understand how people can’t see it. If you don’t work, you don’t eat, according to my authority.
Atlas is shrugging.
*has
I looked at the entire Table 4, because the percentages are important. So are the footnotes. See link following.
Table 4. Quits levels and rates by industry and region, seasonally adjusted (bls.gov)
My take is that we’re seeing the beginning of a risk-on trend among the workforce and perhaps the general population. The quit percentages and raw numbers are very high in August 2021 vs August 2020 when we were in variously higher degrees of Covid hysteria and risk avoidance.
I think we’d all agree that quitting ones job and / or moving to a new apartment or house all carry financial and personal risks. Not unmanageable risks, but risks nevertheless. Engaging in calculated risks such as these suggest people are feeling less fearful and are more willing to exert control over important elements of their lives.
Who is John Gault?
I witnessed a contrast in work ethics within minutes at a dining establishment recently
I walked into a Wendys at Cascade Road in Atlanta a couple of weeks ago with a GA state representative for lunch. As we walked in a large vocal young woman walked out dropping expletives sharing why she did not need the excessive amount of excrement that came with the low wages with which she was being compensated.
I held the door for her and wished her a good day (think Willy Wonka to Charlie at the Chocolate factory)
We then went to the counter to order and the representative said to the gentleman at the cash register that he recognized him.
The young man stepped from behind the counter with his foot in a walking boot. The young man explained that he had been shot in the foot and that the representative probably saw him on the news two weeks before our lunch after shooting and killing another person that had killed his girlfriend at the Quick Trip.
I thanked the young man for his service and especially for his commitment to working.
He said he didn’t know what else to do but come to work to find some sanity.
Two people working the same job. One finds the same job below her standards that another person finds fulfilment.
I know of too many people dying since the vaccine rollout. Numerous sadly passing at home or work. These deaths arent reported in the CDC numbers. My hunch is somewhere between 800K and 1.3 million have died. Those under say 65 that have passed could account for a portion of SD’s numbers. Here in So Cal many that can retire early are doing so and many are planning on leaving the state.
Absolutely; especially law enforcement. They can retire at 50 years. My daughter is doing just that and leaving for a more rational red state. Once you reach the age that you can retire with your benefits it becomes exceeding more difficult to put up with the BS (especially here in CA) and a lot are just saying F it and retiring.
I suspect those quiting in the “accommodations ” sector is probably due to having to put up with our new replacement citizens being put up in motel/hotels. If they arent shiting in the tub then their shiting on the floor. Depending if their country of origin is someplace where screwing goats is acceptable…um they all do. Ok.. if their country of origin is someplace where it’s acceptable to have sex with a 12 year old girl….um they all do. Ok ok …if their country of orgin is someplace where its acceptable to buggar little boys….ah they all do. No Vaccancy.
The girls are much younger…
In the area of the deep blue state I live in, late phase baby boom era workers, both professional and blue collar alike, are calling it quits and retiring early.
Many of these people won’t get the jab. Other boomers are under increasing pressure at their jobs from younger woke managers to conform to a leftist workplace culture. If they think they can afford to do it, the boomers prefer to walk rather than to conform.
Many of those younger woke managers are nothing more than propaganda spouting ideologues who haven’t got a clue how the businesses they are engaged in managing should be operated.
I think boomers really know the cost of freedom and won’t accept anything less. I think the young are like the frog in the boiling pot. They won’t know until too late that freedom is no more. I feel sorry for these younger people.
Being a 2-income family right now with kids in school is almost impossible. Any day one of your kids may get sent home from school and be made to quarantine for 2 weeks because they were in close contact with some other kid or teacher with covid. You can’t send them to daycare at that point; you’re stuck being home with them for the whole time. This happens to most kids multiple times in a school year, and the disruptions are multiplied by the number of kids you have. Not many employers allow you take months off each year to deal with kids’ care.
I know many couples that had to figure out how to keep one parent home full-time to deal these new struggles.
2 income family???? You should try being a single dad with kids and one income LOL.
Interesting, after hearing for years that it was impossible to provide for a family on one income! Now suddenly the two-incomes are impossible. (I suspect the two-incomes always were impossible, and that a lot of moms are, like me, much happier at home rather than wondering how our kids are doing growing up without us.)
And yet “Border Chief” Kamala Harris wonders why hundreds of thousands of economic migrants keep streaming across our borders.
Hint: they’re not coming here to work.
Quit Rates
Report from OKC (one of the aviation centers in the US), wide open farm land (wheat, soybeans, corn), oil wells and supporting industries.
Small businesses have had difficulty staying open during the WuFlu “pandemic”; reports from locals they have been having difficulty acquiring materials to operate. For example, in February the plumber was supposed to do some work on a remodel project, but was unable to keep up with the work requests (remember the ice storm in TX? It hit here, too). Finally got the work done by a private friend in May.
In June, the sewer line broke, called the plumber, this time they could not acquire the pvc to fix the broken pipe. Finally showed up in September. Gasoline prices (best grade) was $3.15 a gallon and now at $3.69. Diesel is reported to be even more expensive.
Food prices now through the roof; my normal grocery bill was $80+ (week) depending on impulsive spending, and is now running about $136 without much change in spending habits.
I just submitted my resignation today; Nov 30 will be my last day. On contract to the FAA and the mandatory “vax” has kicked in so that first shot must be documented and proof submitted tomorrow (Oct 13). My name was on a list with about 15 other people who have not submitted proof of the shot. Last week, at least 3 other people had submitted resignations (actual employees, not contractors), while 2 or 3 were trying to obtain either a medical or religious exemption.
Good news; my carrots, turnips, beets, onions, and lettuce have started coming up and I’ll be planting spinach and chard this next weekend. I have acquired about 3 months of long term food supplies.
God Bless you all.
PS – forgot to mention the cattle farms here
God bless you, too, Joyce. I hope all works out well for you. I might be in your position soon. Submitted my religious exemption request today.
Atlas has shrugged, that’s my thought.
It’s a combination of a lot of realities. At the end of the day, if you can sit home within the house of somebody on welfare or retirement it’s a better option than having to constantly deal with the insane dictates from liberal busybodies both within Government but also most major companies.
I’m blessed (not according to my bank account) and work from home, but I always say, I cannot imagine having to deal with Covid AND a full time job. People are probably learning to adapt and live with less in ways we don’t fully understand yet. And right now – in the midst of all of this comes the vaccine mandate. You work at some shitty job and the CEO says you have to get vaccinated or your gone? They’ll just quit and then leave them to cleanup the (sometimes literal) mess.
Who’s going to fly the planes?
Who’s going to drive the trucks?
Who’s going to deliver the babies?
Who’s going to deliver the food to our table?
Let them (the liberals) do it all. ::Shrug::
Add in other issues
I work from home too and if my employer decides to enforce a vaccine mandate I will wait for them to release me. Not wearing a mask all day or getting a vaccine.
Former back to the land hippie here, I know how to live minimally.
I’ve been preparing for years now. Even made sure I had non-power hand tools so I can still make repairs etc if needed. Have the old hand turned drills etc. But then, I lived without electricity or indoor plumbing into the 1950’s. A lot of todays society are sissies. Yes, my beets, lettuce, turnips etc are on their way or already here. Self sufficiency feel good. My wood burning stove heats my house so warm I often open the door to let some out! It’s amazing what we can do without.
Those of us who survived the Depression or had -era parents (me) recognize and applaud such self-sufficiency but I do find it sad that in such a prosperous and advanced society that we have to resort to such survival techniques to remain alive.
Dateline: Toledo, Ohio
I myself left the IT Industry not long ago, and now work part-time remotely for a marketing company (I’m a telemarketer lol).
Independant contractor (gig work). Very “easy” work, doesn’t pay well, but pays enough – depending on “how much” I feel like working. I save much money on gas, allows me to stay close to home and shore up the homestead.
No “vaccine” worries. No “boss” looking over my sholder, that authority just isn’t worth it to me anymore. No mask.
Convenience and independence, safety and siuational awareness because I can maintain my distance from the lunacy out there.
Yeah some might see me and say “man – thats what I should do”.
You know, a gig at USPS don’t sound half bad, kill shot exemption goes a long way, and plenty of job security delivering Amazonian goods, paid time off, healthcare , holidays off.. Going to their website now.
I did the UPS job while in college – Very well paid 4 hour shifts back then, 6 nights a week.
Learned to make a cascade of boxes, high on one end stepping down, lowering to the floor, then do it again in front of the first cascade, and so onto the back of the truck – boxes supposedly “rolled down” into the next wall during rough driving, no breakage lol.
Until this year , each birthday I was sadly realizing my expiration date was coming too quickly. Now I am happy I and my wife will both be 70 this year. I always realized I was very fortunate to have whatever I do have and never thought I would be annoyed and disgusted where this country might be in 10 to 15 years. Living in sw Florida for the last 21 years we seem to be immune(for now ) from what is happening in the rest of the country. I will probably get a job for 20 hours a week delivering or stocking something. Seems like there are a lot of available jobs but course everythinbg must be done online and that seems more challenging at first. My life is in GODS comforting hands so acceptance is the key. And prayer. Wish the best to all here.
With 25+ years work experience, I have observed that you will make more changing jobs than you will getting raises.
At my first job, my starting rate was 5k higher than someone that had been working there for 4 years.
When employees are scarce, employers will happily pay 10-20% more than your making.
You will almost NEVER get that kind of raise no matter how valuable you are to the company.
People stay at jobs for a few reasons
-great place to work
-retirement vesting
-outstanding pay
Otherwise its SAYONARA!
My wife is transitioning jobs between companies after a 1.5 years getting an 18% raise and a signing bonus. She hired in to company A stating she needed better work life balance with our 2 young kids, they were chronically understaffed and she was working 55 hours or more a week depending on what fire had to be put out. She’d have had to go part time to get full time hours. So long and thanks for all the fish. She’s a known quantity at Company B, they already announced that she’s coming back and she doesn’t start until 11/1. Expected hours ~45/week. As some people have noted in the comments, Company A only wants to hire mid-late career professionals, and they might as well because they seem to be unable to complete the work let alone train entry level. People are dropping like flies and asking my wife to take their contact info if any jobs open up. I wonder if this is isn’t affecting a lot of companies.
I’ve seen and heard some things that all I can say is if my employer took that tack they’d get the double barrel middle finger and I’d burn them on the way out. But I am hesitant about divulging things in an open forum, as I suspect many are. Suffice it to say that some companies don’t seem to think Christianity is a religion and opposing the vaccine is extreme, probably because they think opposing abortion is extreme.
Like everyone else, I see a lot of food service jobs etc open between I-71 and I-79. I’ve worked food service and retail, none of those positions were pleasant jobs and in this insanity I feel sorry for those workers and try to be as courteous as possible. College towns seem to be more short staffed? A hospital I was at recently seemed like a ghost town, and were overrun by COVID cases by local reporting, and they required all staff to be vaccinated by 10/31 so… The nurses I came in contact with were running between rooms, barely able to keep up, yet all the hallways and charge desks I saw were empty. I’ve been in more than a few hospitals for work and personal reasons and it seems very incongruous now that I think about it more.
Houses sell within hours where I’m at. New homes that were $550 pre-Commie Cough are now $700k and sit on the market. There isn’t a home on the market less than $400k in my area of SW OH.
My wife and I can’t figure it out, it’s like people are disappearing. Or maybe inflation has fooled these companies into thinking they have the capacity to hire more workers? Or are they just taking on more work than they are capable? I don’t know.
In part, under Trump, the economics improved such that people may have nest eggs saved up? 18′ to 20′ we put away about 40k. Maybe others saved more?
I’m in Boston. Everyone is doing what they’re told. I have my job for now… they honored my exemption.. tbd how long thats the case.
There are a lot of people relocating here to the heart of North Carolina from the northern and western states. There are too many to be relocating here with their original employer. And since they can buy more than one house here for what they can sell their old, maybe their equity can buy them time to start new careers.
Another dynamic here is there’s a huge influx of undocumented immigrants who’ve taken up most of the affordable housing. Our local governments and news media can’t figure out why the housing shortage, and so are pushing the poor into welfare housing. I suspect a lot of the blue collar workers are being pushed into lower paying jobs or onto welfare by the influx of immigrants as well. And welfare recipients don’t have much incentive to work.
I suspect there are not 4.3 less workers in America, but 4.3 less American workers. Illegal workers aren’t counted, for the most part.
EXCELLENT point, Ken. /cheers for the description, clarity and viewpoint
I’ve been emailing with a friend in Michigan, who has a Master’s in Human Relations, regarding their (months’-long) ongoing job search. This is, verbatim, what I heard from them yesterday:
“Yeah overqualified is a bunch of BS. A ton of HR reps who don’t know how to do their own job. I keep finding Marketing jobs that want “Proficient skills with Google Analytics, Photoshop, WordPress, Adwords, Lightroom, SEO optimization, Mastery of all Social Media Platforms, etcetcetc” and then say at the bottom they’re looking for “1 year Marketing experience total (optional).”
Like dude… if you knew half of the stuff you were requesting on your job description, you’re asking for 10-15 years Marketing experience minimum + 1 or 2 degrees in the field. You want the skillset of a Senior Marketing Specialist packaged up as an entry-level marketing position. But sure, yeah… “everybody is hiring.” haha.”
Living in SC and having helped my husband job-search, I can say with certainty you find the same issue with cabling companies.
Everyone has “now hiring” signs out. A lot of places are closing from lack of staff. Yet people continue to have difficulty getting hired… my question is, why?
See Joshua Fluke on YouTube. He illustrates many points of the absurdity of the corporate environment these days.
The writing is on the wall, yet most don’t see it although it is written plain as day by the elite. It’s in the communist playbook they are using, implementing the Great Reset. You think they care that airlines are having problems? Crash the economy and depopulation is what’s happening. Sad that People don’t see that, they are bragging about.
I know I quit in August to go back to school, figuring by the time I’m ready for my new career this … whatever the bleep is going on right now… will be at least partly past and it will be a good time to re-enter the workforce. Almost certainly an outlier, not seeing a bunch of people there who appear to be making career changes, but I’ve not really been looking out for it.
Judging from the availability of ammo, did they all go to the gun ranges to prepare for dynamic struggle against the current madness?
My daughter-in-law will be leaving her job with the federal government, partly due to the vax “mandate” and mostly because baby #2 is due in February and it is time to be a stay at home mom. She has an electrical engineering degree; she hopes to pick up some part time work to keep up her skill set.
Many people in our area of northern VA are still working from home, at least for part of the week. Who wouldn’t want federal pay with no commute?
On the benefits the government is bestowing upon workers, my self-employed husband recently received a notice from the Virginia Employment Commission that his unemployment benefits have run out for 2021; the last check was mailed in July. He does computer work; he has been quite busy since the hysteria started in March 2020 and everybody needed their computer to work from home. So someone has enjoyed his unemployment benefits, and Governor Northam does not seem to care about investigating the scam.
It seems the hospitals in our area of northern Virginia have successfully gotten their employees to get vaccinated. One of my son’s is in that field, and has reported his only side effect thus far was a sore arm. But he does report that he has seen the heart inflammation issues in young males.
So this has gone a bit off-topic, and I apologize for that. I post little, as my husband prefers a low profile. But we will be ready when time comes.
It may be the last of the Baby Boomer generation stepping out into retirement.
You targeted your question to towns, cities, and neighborhoods. Could we expand to community, specifically online communities? A few examples of genres that I follow are homesteaders, van/bus lifers, and First Amendment Auditors. They work for Google/YouTube and make plenty enough cash to sustain themselves and put money into growing their channels. Many of them have done real well SINCE the pandemic started, because their viewers are stuck at home. I can name a dozen, without thinking, who have left their corporate jobs in the last year for YouTube full time…and they talk openly about what a relief it is to be blessed enough to work for themselves absent company headaches.
That’s just what I know from who I follow. I’m sure everyone here has certain channels they follow with the same kind of stories. The dummies on CNN have even acknowledged the online communities…crying about the success of online political pundits having more viewers than them. Decisions are being made where now the elites are in a ‘be careful what you wish for’ situation.
Ventura County CA. Lived here about 20 years. Could cash out and retire but would like to work a few more years.
We are conservative, unvaxxed, Christian. We don’t plan to leave the area.
A lot of retail closed up on last 2 years. Housing is tight and expensive. Many restaurants closed but others are starting to come and fill the void.
legal info for military, also a place to donate to their fight
https://standwithwarriors.org/
What I haven’t seen lately is the labor participation rate. Where can I find that stat?
Thought I remember 60.2. Maybe as high 61
Confidence in government stats these days varies but here’s what you’re looking for…
https://www.bls.gov/charts/employment-situation/civilian-labor-force-participation-rate.htm
It isn’t we wanted to quit.
We wanted to live.
Part of my decision was active rebellion against the Communist government. Took my 40+ years of heavy industrial skills and business off the table. Fck them. Now it’s taking those skills to destroy them in any way possible. They’ve earned it in spades. Worthless humans.
I pray it’s, and believe it’s the begining of the American People understanding that they have all the power in their collective hands
– Mass Non Compliance is NECESSARY to #MAGA