Following the pandemic shock to the labor market that saw millions of Americans lose their jobs in
a matter of weeks, the balance of power has shifted in favor of workers as companies struggled
to fill open positions in the swift recovery following the Covid shutdown. In what has become
known as “the Great Resignation” or “the Great Reshuffle”, almost 50 million Americans quit their
jobs in 2021, hoping for higher pay, more benefits or better career options elsewhere.
The grass isn’t always greener on the other side, however, and a sizeable chunk of those who left
their previous jobs are now feeling quitter’s remorse. According to a recent survey from job search
portal Joblist, one in four workers who quit their previous job say that they regret the decision, citing
a variety of reasons for their second thoughts. The most common reason for workers’ regrets is
that they quit without having a new job lined up and are now finding it harder than expected to
find one.
This comes as a surprise given the current labor market where open positions far exceed the
number of unemployed workers. Other reasons for regretting the decision to quit include missing
the people at their old company, disappointment in the new job and the realization that the old one
wasn’t half bad after all.
According to Joblist, 42 percent of those who quit their job say that their new job hasn’t lived up to
expectations but returning to their old job is not really an option for most. When asked about a possible
return to their old employer, 59 percent ruled out that option, while 17 percent said “yes” and 24 percent
were at least open to the idea. Education and healthcare workers were apparently most fed up
with their old jobs, with 67 percent of workers in the field saying they had no intentions of returning
to their previous position.
https://www.statista.com/chart/28120/why-americans-regret-quitting-their-jobs/
