It’s being called the “Great Resignation” by some economic experts. People all over the U.S. are quitting their jobs at a higher rate than just a couple of years ago.

The U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that the number of people voluntarily quitting their jobs was up 17-percent between October 2020 and October 2021. A Purdue University study took a look at which jobs were seeing the most people quit in Indiana, and the reasons why.

“There’s a number of people who are quitting their jobs in Indiana, and it’s not because they want to retire [though] that may be one of the factors,” said Bo Beaulieu a professor emeritus at the Purdue Center for Regional Development.

“As many jobs as we have open now in Indiana and across the nation, a lot of people who are working say, ‘This is my time to maybe try to get a better job, better-paying jobs, better benefits.”

COVID was also a big reason. Whether it be because of a fear of getting the virus and working remotely at home wasn’t an option, or that some employers are requiring vaccines and people don’t want to get the shot. Some Hoosiers were also unable to secure proper child care while they were at work and thus had no choice but to quit.

“Where quits are really high is in those sectors that would not be surprising: accommodations, the food industry – I’m talking about bars and restaurants – retail trade,” said Beaulieu. “Those are the areas that have been really severely it and an increasing number from the healthcare sector.”

Burnout among healthcare workers is a big factor for people quitting in the healthcare sector.

Beaulieu says though it’s popularly called the “Great Resignation”, he prefers to think of it as a “great reshuffling.” He says people are not just quitting their jobs and leaving it at that. They are quitting and trying to shuffle into a new job, whether it be a career change or in the same field.