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Comment by ManuelKiessling | Hacker News Reader

This might really be a stupid question and I can imagine you have other things to do right now, so zero hard feelings if you don’t answer: But regarding this whole Great Resignation thing, not only in this specific context but in general — there is one thing that I just don’t get: What on earth are these Resignators doing? Where do they go? I mean all those people have to end up SOMEWHERE in the job market, don’t they?

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That's an excellent question plaqueing economists and workforce development professionals. It made send for people to stay home when they were receiving supplemental federal unemployment insurance. But now? How are they surviving?

I think that workers at this level (blue-collar, light industrial, low-skilled, whatever) have become empowered within the economic turmoil. I think that whereas before, they'd take any job at any wage out of desperation, now they recognize there's much more demand for their services, so they can jump around, seeking for the better option. I suspect that it'll all normalize over time, but that's the one commodity we can't afford, at this point.

People keep asking him this question, but don't realize he's not a university that can figure out why. All he has is data to show that something is happening, not why.

My sample size is very small, but they just undo the whole adulthood thing and become children again. Live with parents, eat out of their fridge, hang out with friends and enjoy life

my spitballed guess is that it really is nowhere. anyone out of work for the pandemic and able to survive by living with parents etc. is just still doing that. Why put in 40hr/week when the pay barely even makes rent

Maybe they have to end up somewhere in the job market, later. Maybe they got long Covid and are recovering. Maybe the isolation made them decide they needed to take time to consider what they want in life and to pivot/re-train. Even a small portion of the workforce on each reason to resign work, collectively at the same time, looks indistinguishable from a wave.

They're living off the stimulus checks and their crypto investments. At least they were before the checks stopped and the market tanked.

The vast majority of people released from jail or prison do not own crypto assets. Nor do they have bank accounts, established credit, laptop, transportation, clothing, housing or a job.

Maybe they just realized there's a bunch of expenses they don't need...or can streamline... I think and see how Covid gave a bunch of people time to focus on what they found was important... literally in my case I've found it's cheaper travelling in the winter to a "cheap" warmer country such as Egypt or South America or even New Zealand (Scoot does cheap no frill flights from Athens to Melbourne) living off odd jobs or freelancing... I mean at this point volunteering or living off the land is a good way to opt out and find "meaning" rather than be stuck in a polluted city in a "mindless" job...

New Zealand? Cheap?

ahahahahaha

This is a pertinent question that deserves to be answered by anyone who can shed some insight.

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