US Could See Another ‘Great Resignation’ as 3 in 10 Workers Plan To Quit in 2024: Survey

By Danielle Ong

Jul 22, 2024 12:35 AM EDT

The United States could see another "Great Resignation" as nearly 30% of employees say that plan to quit their jobs by the end of 2024.

In survey findings published by Resume Builder on Wednesday, nearly three in 10 full-time workers said they were "somewhat" or "highly" likely to quit their jobs this year.

US-ECONOMY-EMPLOYMENT — Danny Crouch pets his dog as he sits in his basement working from home in Arlington, Virginia, on May 25, 2023. The pandemic forced Americans to work from home. And now, more than three years on, employers are struggling to bring them back to the office. A third of employees in the US currently have complete freedom about where they work, compared with just 18 percent in France, according to a recent ADP study of 17 countries.
(Photo : ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

An equal percentage of respondents said they planned to quit their jobs during the Great Resignation of 2021 and 2022 during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By generation, 37% of Gen Z workers between the ages of 18 to 24 said they expect to quit their jobs this year. Among millennials aged 25 to 34, at least 35% said they plan to leave their jobs by the end of 2024.

Why Are Employees Quitting Work?

Of all the reasons cited by employees who said they were likely to quit their jobs this year, the most common response was low pay (56%). This was followed by a desire for better benefits (44%) and overly stressful work (43%). Other reasons cited were lack of advancement, heavy workload, workplace policies, and the introduction of new technology.

"There are so many factors that go into pay structure-function, industry, location, and company size. Better pay is available, but you might need to compromise on something to get it," Julia Toothacre, resume and career strategist at Resume Builder, said in the report.

"Younger workers tend to switch jobs at a higher rate because they are trying to determine what type of function, industry, and environment would work best for them. Along with that, you can increase your salary quicker when you change jobs every few years, and those early career years are the best time to do that," she added.

In addition to the reasons cited, 40% of fully in-person workers said they prefer a different work modality. Among those, 25% said they prefer hybrid positions while 15% said they are looking for fully remote roles.

Which Industries Will Be Most Affected?

Should another Great Resignation occur in the US, the service and hospitality industry had the highest percentage of workers who said they plan to quit their jobs in 2024. The tech industry would likely come second (34%) with the top three rounded out by the finance industry (34%).