Great Resignation

/ˈɡreɪt rɪˈzaɪɡneɪʃən/
phraseIntermediate
💼Business
formal

A widespread trend of employees voluntarily leaving their jobs, often due to dissatisfaction with work conditions, better opportunities, or reevaluating career priorities.

Companies struggled to retain talent during the Great Resignation.

Many businesses faced challenges in keeping employees during this period of high turnover.

💡

The term gained prominence in 2021, particularly in the United States, as a response to post-pandemic labor market shifts.

Collocations

Great Resignation trendthe ongoing pattern of mass resignationsGreat Resignation wavea surge in voluntary job departures

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

quiet quittingphrase
doing the bare minimum at work
side hustlephrase
a secondary job or income source

💡Pro Tip

Contextual Use

Use this phrase in discussions about labor trends, workplace culture, or economic shifts.

Gold Rule

Avoid Misuse

Do not use this term to describe individual resignations; it refers to a broader societal trend.

📖Word Origin

Coined in 2019 by Anthony Klotz, a Texas A&M University professor, to describe a predicted wave of resignations post-pandemic. The term gained widespread use in 2021.

📝Usage Notes

Primarily used in business and economic discussions to describe a significant shift in labor market dynamics.

Word Breakdown

Great
significant or notable
adjective
+
Resignation
the act of quitting a job
noun
English Dictionary