The “Great Resignation” is in full flow at this time.  There is a need for workers.  The Pandemic caused the lay-off of many workers to help slow down the spread of Covid.  The lay-off was long enough to give many people cause to analyze their lives and occupations.

Many found discontent with their life style and decided to opt-out to seek and a new venture.  Numerous reasons for a change came to the surface.  Among the frequent were pay, working hours, and no potential upward movement.  The age group represented were 18–34 year olds.

Workforce movement is causing a stir at the upper age group near retirement.  Many are taking an early retirement to seek other avenues.

All this action in the workforce is affecting everyone.  Business hours of many places have been altered due to lack of workers.

To add to this turmoil, international trade and shipping have been short circuited by unloading container ships, especially on the U.S. West Coast.  At one point 70 container ships were waiting to unload.

What will happen to the way we work?  Some have found working from home to their liking.  Others are experimenting with a new business.  Employers, while searching for workers, maybe looking to technology to solve the problem.  Many occupations have been replaced by robots.

As I look back at the world of work in the past it seems more stable, but not all older people may have had that experience.

Even though we don’t think of work as a child, we are learning to work.  Household tasks assigned by our parents help us to learn future work habits.  That might expand outside to helping our grandparents or an elderly neighbor.

School of course was our full-time job, but teenage years brought forth a desire to buy things, thus a need for money and a job.  During this time, we are hopefully learning good work habits – being on time and being responsible.  Probably at this time we are introduced to volunteer work through our church or youth groups.  This prepares us to think of how we serve other people to bring a satisfaction to our life.

In high school, time is spent on looking to the future and an occupation.  The jobs available for women years ago were limited.  That all changed when the workforce of men was depleted during World War II.  Sixteen and a half million were in uniform.  The war effort needed help and many women filled the men’s place in defense plants.  This increased the workforce in our country and opened up more occupations for women.

Events like wars or pandemics can change the way we look at work.  It will be interesting how the present employment picture “shakes out” in the world of work.