As an Executive Career Coach, I am privy to some information that is not widely known by “the general public.” For example, I am well aware that many people (including some of my clients) have been quitting their jobs over the past few years. Isn’t it ironic that while millions of people are doing everything they can to hold onto their jobs – millions of other people are “up and quitting.” In some cases, they even quit without another job to go to! Yes, quitting can be the healthiest, most appropriate thing to do when a job becomes truly intolerable. So WHY are so many employees quitting, and WHY NOW? In response to questions like these, AIRS News recently published a piece that I thought was particularly informative and interesting. AIRS is an organization I respect, so I always pay attention to their research. See below for this AIRS report, and their positive conclusion.  – FRM

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data shows more people quit their jobs in February, March, and April than were laid off during those three months. In April, nearly 2 million people quit their jobs, the largest number of resignations in more than a year. By contrast, 1.75 million people were laid off in April, the fewest since January 2007.

"One reason is that there's a backlog of quits," he says. "People wanted to quit in 2008, during the height of the recession, but didn't because they were worried they wouldn't get another job. They waited until the optimal time to quit – when the job market improves."

Many of those workers have also been subject to employers' belt-tightening measures: wage freezes, furloughs, and pay cuts. Those workers may start to quit because they're dissatisfied with the compensation at their current jobs, Siegel adds.

Low morale may also be triggering people to quit. During the recession, companies squeezed more out of their employees as layoffs forced fewer workers to do more work. Those who survived layoffs are often overworked and may be among the first to quit as the job market shows improvement.

But are there enough jobs to accommodate the millions now voluntarily leaving their jobs? Not yet, figures suggest. Although job openings are up, hiring has remained flat at about 3.3 percent since the recession began.

"One thing we do know from over a century's worth of evidence is that quits rise and layoffs fall as job market improves," says Siegel. "So absolutely, this is a good sign."

Source: AIRS News. Visit

http://www.rightthinginc.com/mc/news_recruitnews_archive.guid;jsessionid=DB75114756E267BBF564261F31382ED7?_moreInfo=true&_sourcePage=news_recruitnews

The social networking industry, like any other, is susceptible to layoffs these days. On Tuesday, MySpace reduced its staff by 30%. But don’t worry; Tom isn’t going anywhere just yet.

From the company’s official press release:

“Simply put, our staffing levels were bloated and hindered our ability to be an efficient and nimble team-oriented company,” said MySpace Chief Executive Officer Owen Van Natta. “I understand that these changes are painful for many. They are also necessary for the long-term health and culture of MySpace. Our intent is to return to an environment of innovation that is centered on our user and our product.”

Some would argue these cuts were inevitable as other social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter have seemingly overshadowed MySpace in recent years. Hopefully, those who are now leaving MySpace can secure a new position by networking online and in person.