‘An unbelievable sense of freedom’: why Americans are quitting in record numbers

The labor market shake-up brought on by the pandemic has led many, especially younger workers, to reassess their work lives

Josie, 19, landed her first adult" job as an IT support worker last November, just a few months after graduating from high school. Though the job could be done fully remotely, managers insisted that she come into the office - despite the pandemic. At first, her co-workers and managers wore masks, but often incorrectly; when the local mask mandate was lifted, people stopped wearing them altogether.

It was honestly scary," Josie recalls. She'd just moved into her first apartment with her partner; both have pre-existing health conditions that increase their vulnerability to severe illness from Covid-19. But as the sole earner in her two-person household, Josie felt resigned to the daily risk at work.