Skip to main content

What are workers thinking in 2022? By Sarah Miller, Ashley Putnam

By Sarah Miller, Ashley Putnam

From Philadelphia to Atlanta to Portland, communities rallied behind workers who couldn’t shift to remote work at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. When 7 pm came around, neighbors stood on their front steps and leaned out windows to applaud health care workers. Handwritten signs supporting grocers, farmers, and first responders decorated windows and lawns. Drivers found snacks and thank-you notes on porches as thanks for delivering packages safely. Workers who could not work from home even got a new name: Essential.

As the pandemic marched on, life resumed some measures of normalcy. You may find yourself eating inside restaurants or shopping more frequently in stores. Once again, more of us are traveling to see family or friends, or to get away for a long-delayed vacation. You might also notice that fewer workers seem to be doing those “essential” jobs we celebrated not too long ago.

More jobs than jobseekers

The question everyone is asking is: Where are all the workers?

Understanding the labor market is one of the most important things we do at the Fed. It reflects part of our dual mandate of price stability and maximum employment. So, we started having conversations about this situation with colleagues. We know that businesses are struggling to find and retain workers. It’s a sentiment echoed in the Fed’s Small Business Credit Survey, for example. We wondered why so many people are hesitant to return to work. What happened during the pandemic to prompt so many people to quit their jobs and look for new ones?

Typically, when the Fed wants to understand what’s going on in the economy, we look to data and we talk to people. We survey consumers and owners of small businesses. Our outreach teams connect with members of our communities to learn firsthand how they are experiencing the economy. For instance, they consult with members of the Fed’s advisory councils and talk to workforce development and staffing agencies, and local leaders, business owners, and bankers. They may also hold listening sessions. These activities are happening regularly, but they only tell us part of the story.

We need to include workers in these conversations, too.

Listening to workers themselves

This year Federal Reserve Banks across the country are hosting 20 virtual focus groups to hear firsthand from workers who are in, or have recently left, high-turnover jobs. We’re calling it the Worker Voices Project. It’s an opportunity to hear directly from workers at a time when our country is going through big changes in how we think about work. Once the focus groups are concluded, we will publish a report with our findings and more details. In the meantime, we can tell you about our approach and some preliminary things we’re learning.

Everyone participating in the focus groups meets at least one of the following qualifications. They have

  • Recently looked for work
  • Shifted where and how they work
  • Participated in a workforce or training program recently

For these conversations, we’re focusing on workers who do not have a four-year college degree so we can understand their unique experiences as they tend to occupy some of those jobs we previously called “essential”. The stories they are sharing reveal some distinct themes about workers in 2022.

Prioritizing careers over ‘just a job’

Our focus groups confirm that work changed for these workers too. Many have articulated that the pandemic caused them to think about their priorities, their career paths, and how they are treated at work. Almost all of them said that the pandemic changed the way they think about what they want out of a job and how they spend their time away from their families and personal lives. Overwhelmingly, they are looking for a fulfilling and meaningful career, not just a job.

That said, they still face barriers such as

  • Lack of affordable childcare
  • High costs of commuting
  • Skills mismatches
  • Finding work that pays enough to make ends meet

The value of workers being heard

One clear thing has emerged: People want to work. What that looks like, however, has shifted.

Workers are telling us that they’re looking for more than a temporary influx of cash. They want jobs that provide both stability and mobility. They may not want to work where they were working before. Feeling valued by their employers is important. And they want to be heard.

Focus group participants have told us how meaningful it is to be able to share their voices and experiences. They will certainly help us have a more well-rounded view of what’s going on in the labor market. We have a number of focus groups yet to conduct. At the same time, research continues into other factors related to workers’ experiences.

We are no longer talking about workers without workers.

Workers. Job seekers. Career changers. They are all essential parts of our economy and we look forward to sharing some of their perspectives with you.

Sarah Miller is a senior adviser for community and economic development within the Atlanta Fed’s Center for Workforce and Economic Opportunity


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Open Banking To Hit $94B By 2029—But U.S. Lags Amid Global Surge

Watch our Video on Understanding Open Banking NEW YORK—By 2029, open banking is projected to surge globally to a staggering $94.14 billion in value. Yet despite its rapid evolution and expanding global footprint, adoption remains uneven—hindered by inconsistent regulatory frameworks across countries. According to GlobalData, this disparity poses a key challenge for the sector’s success, with the U.S. notably trailing behind global peers in embracing open banking. The U.K. pioneered open banking and continues to be one of the leaders globally. The country has seen the number of users increasing, with there being 12.09 million active users of open banking in 2024 and 223.9 million payments made. This is an increase of 72% compared to the year before. “As open banking continues to flourish, it is positive to see that the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and Payment Systems Regulator (PSR) have outlined how open banking can expand further in the U.K., and also be used in variable...

Sunday Reading - What is the Declaration of Independence?

What is the Declaration of Independence ? The Declaration of Independence is the founding document that formally announced the American colonies' break from British rule. It laid the philosophical and moral foundation for American democracy, asserting that individuals possess inherent rights and that governments must be accountable to the people ( read summary here ). Although Thomas Jefferson is often remembered as the sole author ( read initial draft ), extensive collaboration shaped the Declaration. Benjamin Franklin and John Adams made small but impactful revisions— including Franklin’s reported suggestion  to change “We hold these truths to be sacred and undeniable” to “self-evident”—before submitting the draft to Congress. On July 4, 1776, the final text was adopted and sent to printer John Dunlap, who produced an estimated 200 broadsides that night—but that wasn’t the actual day of American independence . Congress had voted for independence two days earlier, ...

Why Avoiding "I" in Marketing Presentations Matters

  Grant Sheehan, CCUE | CCUP | CEO NCOFCU  You know how things just stick with you? Well, many years ago, my marketing professor started off his class with the following, and it has never left me.  The Power of Perspective: Why Avoiding "I" in Marketing Presentations Matters In the world of marketing, effective communication is paramount. One valuable piece of advice that often comes from experienced instructors and industry veterans is the importance of avoiding the use of the word “I” in presentations and reports. At first glance, this may seem counterintuitive; after all, many individuals feel that personal anecdotes and experiences can enhance a message. However, upon deeper reflection, the reasoning behind this approach reveals itself as essential for achieving impactful communication. Building Objectivity When marketing professionals present their findings or insights, it’s important to establish credibility. Utilizing data, surveys, and feedback from cu...

๐Ÿ‘จ‍๐Ÿ‘ฉ‍๐Ÿ‘ง‍๐Ÿ‘ฆ You Need to Prepare Now to Compete for New Fed Gov’t Funded Savings Accounts for Children

WASHINGTON–Credit unions, which often talk about the need for younger members, will now have the opportunity to compete in a new arena for the youngest members of all, as the recently passed reconciliation bill includes language creating and funding for a new savings account for children, with a one-time deposit of $1,000 from the federal government for those born in 2025 through 2028. The new accounts are expected to create a new battleground of competition for credit unions as every provider from banks to fintechs to others seeks to capture the accounts.  The final version of the bill makes the tax-free savings accounts for minors, called Trump accounts, a form of individual retirement account (IRA) under Sec. 408(a), according to the Journal of Accountancy. Under the legislation, the accounts will be IRAs (but not Roth IRAs) for the exclusive benefit of individuals under 18.  About the Contributions “Contributions can only be made in calendar years before the beneficia...

Agencies Issue Exemption Order To Customer Identification Program (CIP) Requirements

WASHINGTON--The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Office of Comptroller of the Currency, and NCUA, with the concurrence of the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, issued an order Friday granting an exemption from a requirement of the Customer Identification Program (CIP) Rule implementing Section 326 of the USA PATRIOT Act. The CIP Rule requires a bank or credit union to obtain taxpayer identification number (TIN) information from its customer before opening an account, and the exemption permits a bank or credit union to use an alternative collection method to obtain TIN information from a third-party rather than from the customer, the agencies stated in a joint release. The order applies to accounts at all entities supervised by the agencies. "Since the CIP Rule was issued initially in 2003, there has been a significant evolution in the ways consumers access financial services, along with a rise in reported customer reluctance to provide their full TIN due, in part, to...