Quitting your job is a stressful time, but sometimes, it just has to be done. Low pay, zero chances of advancement, and terrible work environments are among the top reasons why employees choose to take off.
Of course, we can’t ignore the other reasons, like wanting to move to a new state. Some folks are even ghosting their employers because who needs closure when you can just disappear into the night like a ninja?
And it seems that the Great Resignation is in full swing, with workers across America quitting their jobs at record rates.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national quit rate was at 2.6% in February 2023. That’s a whopping 4 million people who said “sayonara” to their jobs — a 3.8% increase from January.
So, are certain states feeling the burn of the Great Resignation more than others? Stacker dug into the data to find out.
Alabama is up there at #8, with a quit rate of 3.4% — that’s 72,000 quitters.
That number doesn’t paint the whole picture, though!
It seems that folks are actually quitting their jobs to take on more interesting opportunities because there’s been a positive shift in the job market.
According to the Mobile Chamber, 1,342 new jobs were created from projects announced through its Industrial Development Board and Industrial Development Authority.
That’s more than double the jobs created in 2021.
And we’re not even counting the 1,200 new jobs at Austal or the jobs coming from Airbus’ third final assembly line.
There’s the new Novelis aluminum recycling plant in Baldwin County, set to create a thousand more jobs. There’s also the new biodiesel fuel production unit by Vertex Energy in Saraland.
No job shortage here. In fact, the trouble lies in finding enough workers to meet the demand.
Mobile Chamber President Bradley Byrne also points out that these jobs require pretty high skill levels.
What’s the solution?
Right now, they’re thinking of directing 3,000 high school graduates in Mobile County to training programs and equipping them with these necessary skills.
So, it turns out that Alabama isn’t full of quitters after all! It’s full of forward-thinking folks who are ready to grab new employment opportunities.
I’m sure this has lousy bosses wanting to step up their game because it looks a free pizza party isn’t going to cut it.
Check out more stories over in the Newsroom.
