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Some are leaving white collar fields to work with their hands

Mar 22, 2022
With demand high in sectors like construction, some people are using the "Great Resignation" to go in a new direction.
Danielle Chagnon fits a piece of molding beneath a window sill during class at the North Bennet Street School in Boston's North End. Chagnon wants to make a career change from being a math teacher to a contractor.
Jesse Costa/WBUR

Hiring is hard. So is keeping the workers you have.

Feb 4, 2022
As companies try to hold on to the workers they have, pay and benefits are on the up and up. That may not be enough.
In a remote work environment, employees may have fewer social connections that may otherwise make them stick around.
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Are wages outpacing inflation? Depends on what you do.

Jan 12, 2022
Real average hourly pay increased 0.1% in December. Generally, wages are beating inflation, but some industries are lagging.
While pay in leisure and hospitality is increasing faster than prices, sectors like construction and manufacturing are lagging behind.
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Transit systems struggle to find enough bus drivers

Jan 4, 2022
Some drivers are retiring, others are going to work for commercial delivery services.
Higher wages from private competitors and a workforce near retirement has led to a bus driver shortage. Above, a Detroit bus driver poses for a portrait in 2020.
Seth Herald/AFP via Getty Images

Are workers better off in a "workers economy"?

Dec 16, 2021
Many workers are quitting their jobs during the pandemic, but are they improving their financial situations after they leave?
About 4.2 million workers quit their jobs in October, according to the latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Summary.
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4.2 million people quit their jobs in October

Dec 8, 2021
That was down slightly from September, but still high. Some say watch that figure to know what will happen to the economy in 2022.
According to the latest JOLTS report, the accommodation and food services sector had the largest increase in job openings.
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Why this longtime bartender quit the service industry

Dec 2, 2021
Neil Cairns of Oregon has been on an employment roller coaster the past two years. Now he’s trying something new.
Economists and central bankers abound are watching today's jobs report to get a gauge on inflation.
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From middle school teacher to stay-at-home dad: Why one father left his job

Dec 2, 2021
When the pandemic forced schools to close, Michael Cochran left his job to take on more childcare responsibilities at home.
A father left his job as a teacher to focus on family. Here's how they are making it work.
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Data showing the Big Quit includes the big bosses

Nov 22, 2021
The upside of CEO turnover, however, is that more people are getting opportunities to move up.
People are quitting at record rates — that includes CEOs.
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Negotiating during the Great Resignation

While openings are more abundant lately, consultant Amii Barnard-Bahn argues for improving the terms of your job rather than leaving it.
"If you're known and respected and have relationships, credibility and organizational trust, you're in a really good leverage position," says leadership consultant Amii Barnard-Bahn.
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