Is the Great Disengagement worse than the Great Resignation?
Evidence suggests that a massive recent uptick in resignations is related to a deeper problem in the workplace: Discontent and disengagement, some of it exacerbated by the pandemic.
A staggering number of U.S. workers is actively seeking a new job or watching for opportunities. Forty-eight percent of workers are looking for a different job, according to recent Gallup research, and the U.S. Department of Labor reported that workplace resignations set a 20-year record in April 2021, with four million employees quitting their jobs.
An additional 3.6 million people left their jobs in May, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
As bad as that seems, the real problem isn’t “the Great Resignation.” Instead, it might be the “Great Discontent,” Gallup says. If the job searcher (48% of the workforce, per Gallup), is a subset of disengaged workers, then disengagement is the issue—Gallup says 74% of workers are disengaged in their current jobs, according to recent Gallup research.
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Tags: bureau of labor statistics, burnout, disengagement at work, Gallup great resignation, pandemic, the cost of turnover, the great resignation, workplace wellness
