Michael R. Strain, Columnist

Holding Out for the Right Job? Don't Dawdle Too Long

Yes, employers are desperate right now. But the longer workers sit it out, the more likely businesses will have permanently adapted to the labor shortage.

October 26, 2021 at 12:30 PM UTC

By Michael R. Strain

Michael R. Strain is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist. He is director of economic policy studies and Arthur F. Burns Scholar in Political Economy at the American Enterprise Institute. He is the author of “The American Dream Is Not Dead: (But Populism Could Kill It).”

That sign might come down as fast as it went up.
Photographer: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

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The U.S. is in the midst of “a great reassessment of work,” so say the headlines. Covid-19 has led people to “rethink their careers.” Because of the pandemic, we now know “how much we hate our jobs.” The “Great Resignation” is sweeping through the labor market.

Let’s hold our horses. The unusual circumstances of the U.S. labor market that have led to the “Great Resignation” are likely temporary. And there are good reasons to be grateful that this won’t last.