The ‘Great Resignation’ leaves employers with ‘great’ expectations when filling openings

GEORGIA — “The Great Resignation” accounted for more than 47 million people who quit their jobs last year.

When it comes to filling openings, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said industry leaders need to remain vigilant.

“You have got to be on your toes if you’re a hiring manager. You have to understand that the competition is very fierce right now. Not only wages, but flexibility,” he said.

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Google Trends expert Jocelyn Runcie said job seekers are looking to enhance their lives and give back.

“One is jobs that allow people to help others. So we’re seeing therapist, firefighter, personal trainer,” she said.

Runcie narrowed down Google’s job search results specific to metro Atlanta.

“In Atlanta, we saw that the number one top-trending job search was actually a notary,” Runcie said. “We also saw real estate agent as number two in Atlanta.”

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There is a newly emerging contributing factor to swings in the labor market.

Could it be a “Great Regret?”

“Just because someone left their old job, started a new job that doesn’t mean that they’re not going to leave that new job,” said Laura Putnam, author of “Workplace Wellness that Works: 10 Steps to Infuse Well-Being and Vitality into Any Organization.”

Putnam studies and writes about workplace wellness. She believes people who left for job opportunities during the pandemic may be searching again.

“They don’t feel like the culture maybe resonates with who they are so that’s why they’re finding it really difficult to stay there,” she said.

Also, there is a free program that’s giving high school graduates a leg up on starting a career right out of school.

Jeremy Lull is the CEO of My Career Tech, the online program that trains students in various trades and soft skills.

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“This is something to give some context to these kids so they can decide ultimately if this is a path they want to go down, or perhaps, they choose something else,” Lull said.

Teachers at Gilmer County High School told us soft skills like problem solving, teamwork and communication may be the most important skill to teach young people.

“I have a lot of builders, a lot of higher up people saying, ‘I get on the job site and they cant even carry a conversation with me,’” GCHS construction teacher Dennis Wilson said.

When it comes to the types of future jobs Georgia’s leaders are investing in, Butler says with Rivian bringing its electric vehicle plant to Georgia, he expects suppliers to follow.

Investing in new emerging technologies keeps the local job market ahead of the curve.

“Make sure you’re not only, you know, bringing those future-proof jobs, but also they got to be good jobs, too,” Butler said.

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