Resigned to the Way Things Are

The nation seems to be in the grip of the Great Resignation – that is the high number of employees either quitting their jobs or not returning to the employment they had prior to the pandemic.

The reasons for this are quite varied: among them are complaints of low pay, lack of opportunity and growth, and an overall feeling of being disrespected. The infusion of money by California and national government probably also fueled this exodus out of the job market. According to the Pew Research Center in a March 2022 article, the nation’s “quit rate” hit a 20-year high in November.

The effects of this are widespread. Small businesses (like CV Weekly) can’t compete with businesses that are able to offer enticements like higher wages to attract workers. Thankfully, our staff here has chosen to remain dedicated to the newspaper that is the community’s favorite though some of our best writers are finding greener pastures.

For us this has always been the case. Basically we train our writers and photographers, give them a byline (and little money) and before long they’re picked up by bigger publications. I’ve accepted that is just the case with a small town newspaper. I’m grateful for the time they’ve been with us; their writing and photography skills have helped CV Weekly become the reliable, trusted source of local news for nearly (gulp!) 13 years. But it still is hard to see them go.

The Great Resignation has also resulted in a shortfall of help that has touched non-profits. For example, this Sunday is the Taste of Montrose benefitting Prom Plus. I initially thought restaurants would embrace the chance to welcome back diners and would want to show off their fare. But what I’ve found is, due to staffing challenges, I haven’t gotten the high number of restaurants to participate that I expected. When asked why that is, I typically get, “I have no one to work it.” (Note that Prom Plus has volunteers who will gladly serve their samples whether at their brick-and-mortar or in our food court.)

I don’t know if you’ve noticed the high number of Help Wanted signs around town, too. Whether in supermarkets, restaurants or retail shops, signals of the Great Resignation can be found at nearly every outlet. But I wonder: with inflation on the rise, how are these people going to earn the money it takes to pay for rent, food and other necessities? Is it going to turn out that the decisions to quit their jobs will backfire, causing workers to reconsider and actually return to their former employer to see if they can get back their old job?

I for one don’t know the answer to that prickly question. However, what I do know is how grateful I am for the folks who have stood firm next to me at CV Weekly. The Great Resignation is a roller-coaster ride that I don’t want to get on.