“Workers continued to quit their jobs at a historic rate. The low-wage sectors directly impacted by the pandemic continued to be the source of much of the elevated quitting.” said Nick Bunker, a researcher of the U.S. labor market. A record 4.5 million Americans resigned from their jobs last November. This sent the unemployment rate through the roof. Since 1948, the unemployment rate has ranged from 2.50 to 4.20 but in the past years it has been at an all time high of 14.70 percent. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022). The Labor Department also reported that employers posted 10.6 million job openings in November. The job market will continue to make a comeback after this recession but for the time being it is still affecting us in many ways. Employment overall in the food service sector is down nearly a million jobs from pre-pandemic levels, and restaurants continue to close. Restaurant sales were low in August compared to July, although they were still a lot higher than the same period in 2020, according to Census Bureau data. This could result in us losing our favorite restaurants.

Meanwhile, overall numbers of restaurants are down by 13% in September, compared to the spring of 2020, based on NPD Group’s restaurant census research. If you have been to a restaurant or fast food chain lately and noticed that there were little to no workers and service was slow, then you have experienced part of this recession. This can be a hassle for many people who are in a rush.

Why are workers leaving their jobs? Lots of factors include ongoing health concerns, a desire for a more flexible schedule, and workers switching jobs to take advantage of the job market. Lower wage sectors are being directly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Meanwhile, there has been an increase in the hospitality sector. Whether or not these conditions roll into 2022 is a big concern. In addition, for our hopes we need to recover fast and find ways to contribute to our community.