What Led To November's 'Great Resignation' From Jobs, What To Expect In 2022

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- Maybe you just quit your job or you're thinking about making a job change. If so, you're not alone.

The Department of Labor says 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November, with the majority of those people being woman.

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, we were talking about millions of job losses due to workforce shutdowns. Now, people are making the choice to leave their jobs, and we could see more of it in 2022.

"It was time. It was time for me, and it was time for so many other people to say 'I'm not happy and it's not acceptable'," said Rachel Carlson.

A mother of two young boys, Rachel Carlson was part of 'The Great Resignation, not once, but twice.

"The job really changed. And I changed. And I had to recognize that and find my balance again," Carlson said.

After the birth of her second baby, Carlson found herself having a more honest conversation during the pandemic about what she wanted and needed from work.

"It was honestly going into the interview experience incredibly empowering, because I knew what I wanted and it wasn't the same 10 years ago. It wasn't the same 8 months ago," Carlson said.

Sara Makin, founder and CEO of Makin Wellness is a therapist who also provides career counseling.

While 4.5 million people quit their jobs in November, 6.7 million hires took place. Makin says burnout has led to some of those job changes, but for others, it's been about having time to reflect.

"Many people were so busy prior to COVID and didn't have time to think about is my job satisfying, do I feel like I'm making a difference in the world, is this what I really want," Makin said.

"People are not hiding their salaries anymore. People are not hiding what they want their work-life balance to be anymore," Carlson said.

Makin says she expects to see the trend continue in 2022, where people pursue careers align more with what they really want.