6 Great Resignation or Great Transformation?

The Shifting Landscape of Work

Belle Liang, Brenna Lincoln, and Betty S. Lai

DOI: 10.4324/9781003272397-8

At the writing of this essay, the global COVID-19 pandemic has surged on for nearly two years. Among the challenges posed by the pandemic is a growing labor shortage. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, a record-breaking number of people in the United States have quit their jobs since April 2021. This “Great Resignation,” largely led by members of Generation Z (Gen-Z; anyone born between 1997 and 2012; under 25 years old in 2022) and millennials (anyone born between 1981 and 1996), has sparked a national conversation about the nature of work, the work ethic of younger generations, ...

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