Yonette Thomas
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May 14, 2023
According to a July poll from The Washington Post, 22% of all U.S. workers considered changing their careers during the coronavirus pandemic. For workers under 40, that figure is 33%. The sentiment underlying the trend ultimately triggered the Great Resignation of 2021, in which the Labor Department estimated 4 million workers had quit their jobs in April, marking a 20-year record.
While this is hardly the first incident of employment upheaval, it certainly feels different. Instead of the titans of industry tinkering with strings behind the scenes, forces beyond human control are at play this time. The present reality has spurred people to take a tighter grip on the helm of their destinies, witnessing their bosses’ vulnerability, perhaps for the first time.
Bolstered unemployment insurance has played a central role in these shifts, giving many an unprecedented and unexpected boost for covering living expenses. But, while some have blamed extended unemployment for labor shortages, it’s important to question whether these unfilled positions were really worth it to the people who previously occupied them, aside from the meager paychecks.
Take, for example, the story of Orlando Saenz, who, after being laid off from an executive assistant role at an Austin law firm, decided to enroll in community college and finish his associate’s degree to position himself for something higher-paying and more meaningful. Unemployment benefits funded the opportunity enabling him to “treat school as my job,” he told the Post.
Of course, there’s nothing inherently wrong with a job as an executive assistant. However, it’s no secret that individuals’ ability to leverage themselves up the corporate ladder has eroded over the decades, alongside sluggish wage growth and vanishing benefits. The prospects are even more discouraging for service industry workers. Improving one’s position has become less feasible though the allure of the “American Dream” persists.
Yet, the pandemic has shown how quickly things can change and the positive impact of social safety nets.
Universal basic income is a safety net that gives people a modest but stabilizing monthly income to help cover life’s basics, namely housing and food. Former Stockton, CA Mayor Michael Tubbs spearheaded the Stockton Economic Empowerment Demonstration experiment to explore the efficacy of universal basic income. It began in 2019 to determine whether $500 per month with no strings attached could improve residents’ job prospects, financial stability and overall well-being. A year later, a team of independent researchers determined that the project’s 125 participants, who had been living at or below the area median income, experienced increased full-time employment and improved financial, physical and emotional health.
With the project ending in February 2020, the timing was in a way ideal because a mere month later, the pandemic showed the world that loss of financial stability and the resulting consequences could happen to anyone. It also showed that people want to work, but they need a pathway to access good jobs. The key point is who determines good jobs versus ones that leave people struggling and unfulfilled. An easy way to distinguish between the two is to see what occupations people choose when they’re not in a state of financial desperation. This doesn’t mean that everyone will make the same choices, but it makes a society of people in worthwhile occupations, well-suited to their talents, more likely.
The pandemic’s aftermath and the ensuing Great Resignation of 2021 could be the beginning of the next iteration of the American Dream, in which all benefit from a more nuanced economy where people have the flexibility to pursue their passions. Strong social policy that grants dignity can get us there.
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Did you know?
About 42 percent of Americans have had a “career lightbulb” during the pandemic, according to a OnePoll survey commissioned by the Universal Technical Institute. In addition, a special report from the McKinsey Global Institute forecasts that over 100 million people worldwide, or 1 in 16, will need a different occupation by 2030. This represents a 12 percent uptick from pre-pandemic estimates.
The Universal Technical Institute says that the threats resulting from the pandemic have “reinvigorated people toward pursuing a career that is more fulfilling than their current one.” This time of uncertainty is a time of opportunity for professionals at all stages of their careers who are open to fresh career and professional experiences. People are asking themselves fundamental questions about leveraging their current professional status into what gives them the deepest sense of fulfillment and alignment with their core values.
About the Author
Dr. Yonette Thomas is a thought leader, committed mentor, and amplifier of professional paths. She created Strategic Transitions to share her leadership and professional insights with early career, mid-career, and senior-career individuals needing a hand-up, a strategy conversation, or a path amplifier.