For workers, labor shortage means new leverage – and higher pay
Perhaps not since Johnny Paycheck belted out his 1977 hit – “Take This Job and Shove It” – has worker discontent been so front and center in the American consciousness.
The nation’s quit rate – the share of workers voluntarily leaving their jobs – hit a record 2.9% in August. Microsoft predicts 41% of workers globally are considering leaving their employers. A recent Harris Poll finds that half of workers in the United States want to make a career change.
In a sign of the new combativeness, the AFL-CIO labor federation last month put up a map on its website, showing nearly 30 locations where strikes are underway, from big employers like Kellogg and John Deere to the 75 musicians picketing the San Antonio Symphony.
The frustration isn’t limited to
