The economy has been experiencing some serious ups and downs over the past few years, both as a result of the pandemic and the subsequent inflation that forced people to work more to afford the same lifestyle.
You’ve likely heard of terms like the “Great Resignation” and “quiet quitting,” which refer to ways that workers are either leaving their jobs or doing the bare minimum when they don’t feel they’re being compensated properly. It’s inevitable that challenging times push people to make dramatic decisions about their jobs, and we’re definitely living through a volatile economic period.
Of all the jobs that are taking the greatest hit, these appear to the be the most unwanted by American workers .
Sanitation Worker
It’s one of the least glamorous jobs around, so it’s no surprise that it’s not very coveted, according to Zippia. Despite these jobs often being government positions with good benefits, aspects like early hours, handling trash, and engaging in physically challenging work doesn’t always appeal.
Though life has gone back to relative normal since the pandemic’s beginning, health concerns might also fuel this lack of interest in being in contact with people’s waste.
Nurse
Nursing, while an incredibly meaningful profession, is also one of the toughest, and one that has been tested to extremes over the past few years due to the pandemic. According to HealthcareITNews.com, as many as 90% of nurses have considered quitting for a variety of reasons. These include workforce shortages which are increasing the workload on individual nurses, increased patient loads, administrative burdens, poor communication and general burnout.
Truck Driver
In many ways, truck driving seems like a great job, with little supervision, lots of time to yourself on the road, and decent pay. However, according to Smart-Trucking.com, there’s been a truck driver shortage, by as many as 60,000 drivers as of February 2022.
The site suggests pay is not high enough and many drivers find their working conditions to be subpar. Truck drivers are looking to other fields with better pay and better conditions.
Retail Worker
Most of us didn’t think twice about retail stores being open to us at our convenience. That is, until the Great Resignation starting having an impact on the places we shop and eat.
According to McKinsey, one out of five people in the U.S. works in retail or hospitality, and of these workers, at least half of them are thinking about quitting. The reasons for this, according to McKinsey experts, appears to come down to a few key things — lack of flexibility, career development opportunities and concerns over health and wellness.
Food Service Worker
Another industry that has been hit extremely hard over the past few years is the food service industry. According to Nation’s Restaurant News, as of January 2022, the food service industry had a higher quit rate — 6.9% — than any other sector. The reasons range from low pay and bad management, to frustration with customer expectations and health risks during the pandemic.
Educator
Teachers were pushed to great lengths during the pandemic, They were expected to adapt their teaching styles to online learning, then back again to in-person, along with constantly changing health protocols and dealing with frustrated parents.
With pay not keeping up with the cost of living or the challenges of the job, teachers are leaving the profession, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The organizations found that 44% of public schools reported teaching vacancies, over half of which were resignations.
IT Worker
Information technology specialists are the people we all turn to when our computers or Wi-Fi or other tech just isn’t working. They are needed in droves as our lives become increasingly more reliant on technology.
Unfortunately, there are fewer of them than needed, according to Finance Buzz. They cite a 2021 report by TalentLMS and Workable that found 72% of tech employees were thinking of leaving their positions within the next year. Another concern was lack of career advancement opportunities and inflexible work hours.
This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com