Want to quit your job? You're not alone

What you need to know to help you make it.

VIEW IN BROWSER | SUBSCRIBE     WED, JUN 23, 2021 Alicia Adamczyk is a money reporter for CNBC Make It, covering consumer issues, investing and digital financial communities. You can follow her on Twitter @AliciaAdamczyk. Forget a return to long commutes and slogging through burnout — many workers would rather quit. In fact, nearly 4 million people did so in April, according to the Labor Department.  As other publications have reported, this is something of a once-in-a-lifetime moment in the labor market. Businesses are reopening and hiring like crazy to meet increased demand post-Covid-19, but there are fewer workers, in part because of lingering restrictions from the pandemic, like access to child care.  In fact, April saw a record 9.3 million job openings, giving some workers "the upper hand to negotiate for higher pay, more consistent hours or better accommodations," my colleague Jennifer Liu reported. In a reverse from the past year-plus, this is especially true in lower-wage sectors like hospitality and leisure, where even marginally better pay is reason enough to switch jobs. With more jobs than job seekers, workers can be more selective and search for those better opportunities. Labor market conditions alone don't tell the full story of why a record number of people are quitting. The pandemic has caused many people to look inward and reflect on what really matters to them. An unfulfilling job may no longer make the cut. Others were able to save during the crisis, and are prepared to use their cash cushion for some time off.  Still others would rather look for new work than go back to the office full time, or need to earn more to make up for a spouse who is still unemployed. With so many different factors at play, I'm curious: Are you considering quitting your job? Has the pandemic changed how you view and approach your work? Email me your thoughts at alicia.adamczyk@nbcuni.com. I'd love to hear from you.   Have a friend who might appreciate this type of content? Please forward it along! Trending articles from Make It 'Up until yesterday, I had been a millionaire': This 33-year-old dogecoin investor refuses to sell despite losing over $167,000 in one day Is your kid gifted? Here are the signs, says performance expert—and how parents can raise exceptionally smart kids IRS releases tool to let families opt out of advanced child tax credit Use this little-known trick to save more money on your rewards credit card These are the most expensive cities for working abroad in 2021 Unsubscribe Manage Newsletters Digital Products   Feedback Terms of Service Privacy Policy   © 2021 CNBC LLC. All rights reserved. A property of NBC Universal. 900 Sylvan Avenue, Englewood Cliffs, NJ 07632 Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes and Market Data and Analysis. Data also provided by THOMSON REUTERS