A particular news item caught my eye early today: 
As the job market begins to loosen up, human resource managers might increasingly be surprised by an announcement from employees they haven’t heard in a while: “I quit.”
Catchy quote, isn’t it? And hopeful.
It appeared in The Wall Street Journal, as reported on Yahoo Finance. The article went on to suggest that economic times (and the job market) are loosening, and thus, those who are employed are beginning to feel a little more freedom relative to choices in their work life. This is a combination of factors – normal turnover picking up (leaving to advance in pay or responsibilities), as well as issues of retention (fewer resources expected to carry an untenable workload, and subsequently departing).
Still – leaving a job? That remains something unimaginable – to me – and I believe, to millions of others who have weathered waves of layoffs, scrambling for the next buck, living off debt, or worrying about the next round of cuts.
The article goes on to say:
Before February, the BLS [Bureau of Labor Statistics] had recorded more layoffs than resignations for 15 straight months, the first such streak since the bureau started tracking the data a decade ago.
Would you quit your job? 
There was a time in my life when leaving one job for another was a matter of setting my sights on the next challenge (and pay jump), and going for it. I was able to transition from one position to another, smoothly, for more than 20 years. I felt I had choices. In fact, I did have choices.
After children, options narrowed in what is not an unusual set of compromises, most typically for women. Work-life balance determined my career moves, as job satisfaction dropped on the priority list in favor of adequate compensation and flexibility to raise my kids.
Quit? Not even a consideration. I would still be in my former corporate position had I not been a casualty of a major restructure, just as my family life was going through an involuntary restructure of its own. What about you? If you could, would you dare to quit your job?
Work-life balance
Ah, the elusive term “work-life balance.” We talk about it. We write about. We try to live it. Some manage to do so more easily; others, not so much.
What have you changed in order to seek – and attain – something like balance? Are you still looking to achieve it, as a function of changing priorities that come with time, parenting, or other life events?
Do you work to live, or live to work?
How do you feel about your job?
Are you currently in a job that you find satisfactory? More than one job?
Another Wall Street Journal article points out that the job market in this country is picking up, but slowly. Delve into the data, and note the caveats associated with that uneasy interpretation.
So what do you think? Are you sensing improvement in your industry? Your region? Are you feeling more confident about the future?
How has the recession affected you and your family?
I’ve written directly and obliquely about the recessionary impact on my family, not to mention my self-esteem. Producing high quality work and being paid for it has been part of my life since I was a pre-teen. Providing is essential to who I am, and how I feel about myself.
While contracting and freelancing as I’ve raised my children has afforded flexibility, it has also meant instability, lack of benefits, and exclusion in any government reporting relative to the job market – one of the many reasons I tend to discount claims of improving opportunities, especially for those aged 45 and up. Just how many of us have fallen through the statistical cracks?
What about you? How has the recession impacted you? 
- Your spending in general? Vacations?
- Your educational plans for yourself or children?
- Your living situation?
- Your dreams, your belief in “the system,” your day-to-day life?
Do you believe that things are looking up?
Per usual, your post hit home. A little less than two years ago I was unhappy in my job and even though I still put 100% effort into everything I did for my clients, my company knew how unhappy I was. So when layoffs happened, I was targeted. At the time, it was devastating (hurt my ego), but in early 2009 (right in the thick of the recession) I found a job less than three months after being let go.
I’ve since been at this job for more than a year and am very thankful I was let go. It was the best thing for me at the time and this new(er) position has allowed me to build on my previous experience and expand my overall skillset. Being laid off is the best thing that happened to me in my career. Plus during those three months of unemployment, I learned again how to be more frugal and creative.
With all that being said, I do believe the job market is improving. It is my job to pay attention to these numbers, so we’ve been seeing some uptick and am hopeful things will improve even more by the end of the year. I do so more opportunities out there and if the right job comes along for any of us, why not say the dreaded words “I quit.” It can be tough, but I also think we need to look out for our best interests.
Thanks again for a wonderful post.
Glad this was timely for you, Mel. And yes, recessionary times do encourage us to be more creative and frugal. You sound like you definitely made the best of your situation, and are in a better place. Fabulous!
I’ve commented before about my dissatisfaction with my work-life balance. I’m away at work for 10 hours a day, and I see my toddler for 2. That’s not balance. That’s a nightmare. And one from which I hope to wake up but we need the money now.
We do have a one-year plan to move me from full time to part time, but you brought up a good point then – is it even possible in my line of work? Well, I’ve thought about it and if I don’t get that choice, I would consider doing something just to pay the bills even if the job itself does not do my graduate degree justice. I know we will have to make sacrifices and having worked hard to attain a certain lifestyle, it will be a difficult transition. But for once in my life, I’m truly ready for it.
If it means being able to stay home to watch my daughter grow before my eyes, and not through pictures and what the daycare tells me she does, then yes. Bring it on. I can’t wait until the day I say “I quit.”
Justine –
Your situation for any parent who wants to really be there for a child is so painful. It’s the sort of wrenching conflict that I don’t think a parent should have to endure, and yet so many do. I hope they find a way to move you from FT to PT status, so you can have more time with your daughter. Fingers crossed for you. (Toes too.)
Would, have before and would again. If I am not happy in what I am doing, it eventually shows in my home life and in my work. Consequently, I would weigh other options very carefully but am not adverse to giving a company notice.
Husband mentioned this new tidbit to me yesterday, and I guess I wasn’t surprised. With the recession these past years, the power has clearly been in the hands of employers. Demanding workers put in longer hours, take on more responsibilities, absorb lost positions, all under wage freezes. Once the job market starts to rebound (as it seems is happening now) the power will begin to shift to workers, who will say “I’ve had enough!” and get the hell out of Dodge.
Personally though, I would never quit a job. Okay, virtually never. I can’t imagine a situation that would make me quit… but it could happen in the future. But the chances are very slim. And Husband and I have a sort of agreement, that neither of us will just quit one day. We need to have another job lined up, or at least a very serious budget discussion before we utter those words that can’t be retracted.
The recession has made us more careful with our money. We’ve always been pretty conservative, saving a good portion of our wages, etc. But I guess it’s made us less willing to spend. Less willing to take a vacation or splurge on new bikes. We’re just making do. Which has been fine for awhile, but we’re going to reach a point where we need some fun pretty soon.
As my Mom used to say, “From your lips to God’s ears!” and I’ll say the same about this post. I can only HOPE to be one of those employees that can utter those very words, “I quit.” in the next few months. Here’s hoping the economy continues to improve! Great insight!
Also hoping the economy continues to turn… preferably in my direction. (Popped by your site. Delightful! So glad you stopped by!)
I did quit my job when I was so unhappy I couldn’t stand it. I worked with a heinous lawyer and one day, I strolled into the partner’s office, and said I quit. No notice, nothing. This was very unusual for me, but I couldn’t handle the work environment and the toxic toll it was taking on my life. I had bills to pay and law school loans, but it was the best decision I ever made. I wouldn’t change a thing.
Of course, this was when I was married and had no children, so it was an easier choice. With a child in the mix, I don’t think I could make such a bold move.
Children / spouse / associated expenses and responsibilities do make a considerable difference… But I’m glad, Rudri, that you were able to get out when you needed to, and find something better. “Toxic” environments as you say are unhealthy in so many ways.
I’ve quit jobs before but life and bills were a lot less complicated when I was younger and flying solo. I happen to love the work I do now and the people I work with as well as the flexibility I have to spend with my family and generous vacation. I remember to be thankful for this daily because as I look around, so many people are still recovering from the recession. I don’t know enough to say if things are or are not looking up.
I do think that there are more opportunities for entrepreneurs these days (with blogging, affiliate marketing, selling e-books, writing product reviews, etc.) and it’s encouraging to see, at least on the blogs, how supportive people still can be. And I think there are more possibilities for those already working to add a layer or two of passive income streams (if they can find the time and discipline to lay the groundwork first).
The recession has certainly impacted my family. Husband, skilled, talented and established musician that he is, is in a creative and unpredictable field. He lost his main producing gig a few months ago and it’s not clear if/when another big gig will materialize. It’s a good thing we don’t have a big family.
Interesting that you’re writing about this just as I’m hearing from a former colleague at the job I left to go back to school. She contacted me via LinkedIn and we started chatting about what happened in our newspaper department not long after I quit — the section’s copy desk, including its management, dissolved and was reintegrated into the main one (for the entire paper rather than just our section) because of the economic downturn. Layoffs were numerous. I’d only heard a few details from people leaving, but not this. It was sobering.
So I’d say I was lucky with my timing. I don’t know what awaits me when I get done with my degree, but if things are indeed looking up in general, I’ll be glad. For now, I’m thanking the gods for my fellowship and grant money.
Yes. Having been a casualty of a newspaper layoff myself, I’d say your timing was good!! Sobering indeed.
The recession has hit my little family less than others because we are in school. It’s hard to lose a job when you don’t have one in the first place. 😉
We are now facing the realities of the ultra competitive job market. Since Ben is graduating soon, he is looking for a job that will help us pay the bills and maybe even set aside a little money for medical school. It has been difficult. He has applied for many many jobs and has only secured one interview. While our situation isn’t desperate (at least not yet), it is one that has left us talking late into the night, discussing our options.
My parents, on the other hand, have suffered one serious blow after another. It has been heartbreaking to watch their finances dwindle and not be able to help out. They are doing fine now, but job security is still fresh on their minds.
Work-life balance is a tricky issue, one that is defined base on individual circumstances. I am happy about my balance, especially since my little guy has been sleeping better at night, but there are days where I feel guilty about how I spend time with my children. I don’t have a job to contend with (except for writing and even considering that a job is questionable), so my time is divided between cleaning, playing, and writing. There are times that writing supersedes everything, especially if I have a deadline drawing near, and there are times when I ignore the house and the internet and spend the whole day on the floor. I think that balance should be looked at from an overall perspective. It is impossible to do things in a balanced way every day.
I’m with you! I remember the days of looking for a job just because I wanted more!
And as you say, its limited now. I want to be around my kids. I feel very fortunate to have my job for all of the flexibility I do have.
I saw that, too.
I love what I do — always have. It’s a lot harder now because of the economy, and we’re all working so much harder.
I would consider leaving, but with college looming for my kid, I just can’t do that.
I have never cared too much for money, so I can — and do — live on little. I’ve never felt deprived although my kid has (when all his friends were getting cars and I told him, want a car? Get a job!)
I have a friend who quit — but she made 6 figures and had a lot of $$ saved. Then the recession hit, then she got really sick. Now, she finally landed a job again — but she almost lost everything.
That is NOT for me!!
Such topical things to think about. I had to walk away from my nursing job years ago due to health issues. I freelanced and mostly we were poor. I quit my job at the HS here because they were upping my hours and I couldn’t do it and still have any time to write. Now I’m at the library and LOVE it AND have writing time, tho not enough. I’ve been fortunate to have an ex who pays bills as long as I’m doing EVERYTHING for the kids, and that’s been basically ok for me. So yeah, I’ve quit jobs and continue to feel uneasy, especially in this recession, about my financial status and depending on his “integrity.”
But now there are 2 kids in college and a 3rd coming up. Crazy. I’m trying to find more ways to make money writing, but you know what that’s like…
Yes, I do know what that’s like Maureen. 🙁 You’re fortunate in that your ex has maintained the level of financial “integrity” as you call it, though 2 in college and the third coming up? Crazy. Yes.
There was a time when we (as in hubby and myself) felt like we had a choice, but now we consider ourselves lucky to be employed. I have listened to people on a (church) board complain about not getting bonuses or pay raises and it’s everything I can do not to hit them in the head and scream “do you know we’re in a recession?” How can you give raises when the money is not there? I did try explaining that my family hadn’t gotten bonuses or raises for three years, but we were thankful to be employed. I suppose people are affected differently and their expectations vary as well. I just hope the economy gets out of this slump SOON.
When times are tough my clients seem to need my services as much, if not more, than ever, but with a good number of them losing jobs, seeing business shrivel up, or having to do extra work in the wake of colleague lay-offs, their ability to pay me is also impacted, and thus my income has gone lower while my work-load has mostly been level. I still manage to get by, and I trust that as things improve (and I see mixed signals, some areas growing, many still floundering across sectors from entertainment, law, technology, real-estate, etc.) I trust that we’ll all ride the trends together.
In some ways I see difficult times as catalyst for people to re-think what matters most to them—creating interest sometimes in rambling around in the world of soul and spirit (that’s never been big in the real world), and thus I find it makes me feel like I have more company in the realms that interest me most.
10-15 years ago, I quit jobs with nothing in sight. Something better always came along. These days, I’d hang on to a job, for sure. Economic times are different.
You’re quite right, DM. Very different times, and also, from 40+ it’s a different view.
Normally I wouldn’t advocate quitting a job unless there was another one waiting in the wing. I still stand my that for the most part. However, if the work environment is unhealthy to you physically or emotionally, it’s better to get out as soon as possible. Hopefully, there would be a 6-month financial cushion that could help until another opportunity came along.
I “quit” a 7-year advertising position 2 years ago and don’t really regret it to this day. “New” job has it’s own challenges, but I was getting mentally and emotionally burned out at the agency, at the hands of the owner…not the deadlines. And the owner was a woman!
I’ve always believed a job is what I do, not who I am. I try very hard not to get the two confused.