'It's not just a paycheck': Great resignation becomes great reassessment

Emily Caledonio is part of the great resignation. A wife and mother, she lost her job during the pandemic. Then, in October, she found a new one but it did not last.

"It's not just a paycheck," she told ABC13. "It wasn't a fit and I just wasn't happy and I was looking for something else."

So she quit. And she is not alone.

In February 2022, 400,000 of 4.4 million Americans that quit their jobs were in Texas. That's more than 21% from February 2019.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1.1 million women left the workforce between February 2020 and January 2022. And according to a report by McKinsey & Company 1 in 4 women with children considered leaving the workforce.

Childcare is still an issue for many. We also know that more than 4 million Americans retired during the last two years. Though new data found a quarter of them are reentering the workforce as economic conditions change.

"I think the great resignation is a misstatement," said Patrick Jankowski, an economist at the Greater Houston Partnership. "I think what we're seeing is, is a reassessment, a reprioritization. People are quitting and droves. A lot of 'em are going to better jobs or they're going to jobs that they perceive as better."

There is an opportunity, for job seekers.

In League City, Spherion Staffing works with both employers and job seekers. They have seen a dramatic shift in which the prospective employee has the power.

That is especially the case in retail, hospitality, and business professional services, which include engineers, accountants, and lawyers. Workers are not disappearing, they're just changing careers.

"It's a candidate-driven world right now," said Sabbath Ekene, co-owner of Spherion Staffing's League City franchise. "They are in their homes working. No more going to the brick and mortars. No more working holidays."

Her husband and co-owner, Edem Ekene said that many workers in pandemic susceptible jobs are seeking work that is both more fulfilling, more lucrative, and more "pandemic-proof".

"They are literally going to work just going into different sectors of business (and) different industries," Edem Ekene said.

SEE ALSO: Texas punches in as one of best states for working from home, study says

In 2021, nearly one in five Americans who did not retire quit their job, according to a Pew Research study released in March.

The top reasons? Pay, no advancement, and a toxic work environment. Employers are having to work hard to make their jobs and culture more in demand for job seekers and for current employees.

The latest numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics also reveal there are a lot of jobs available in Texas.

As of February, in Texas, there were close to 1 million posted job openings.

John Hill is the Vice President of Human Resources at JSW Steel USA, where they just implemented bonus opportunities for every employee. It's not just a question of hiring but also retaining their current workforce.

"We're competing with everybody today," Hill said. "We have to stay up with trends, understand the market, and make sure that employees realize that we are an employer of choice."

It is a job seeker's market. No doubt with employers having to sell themselves in a marketplace where workers are not afraid to quit and move on. Caledonio did. She has a new job, which she loves, and better fits her priorities.

"I know that I'm in a place where I can grow," Caledonio said. "I know I'm at a place where I'm being heard and valued. My values align with the company."

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