CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Chances are you might know someone, whether that's a friend, a relative, a coworker, or maybe it was you who made a decision to retire early or even leave a job.
Right now, the Coastal Bend is experiencing an historically tight labor market in what has been coined, "the great resignation".
Our unemployment rate stands at 5.4%, which is higher than the state and national average. Keep in mind, though, that a year ago it was over 8%. There are thousands of jobs available in our region, but many employers say workers have simply not returned.
In part one of a special series called, Help Needed, we are diving into the changing workforce, the benefits for some and the challenges it's created.
These days 'Whiskey' the dog is getting in all the walks he wants with his owner, Karissa White. "He gets the walks, he gets snuggles all day long, so he can be on my desk chair right beside me," said White, adoringly.
White is able to spend more time with the therapy dog thanks to a decision she made about her job following the pandemic. "I think a lot of people, especially in the office, realized how non essential going into an office is every day," added White.
White didn't change fields, she is still an accountant, but she did switch employers. She opted for a company that offers full remote work after getting a taste of working from the comfort of home during the pandemic. She believes remote work offers too many advantages to give up.
"It's relaxing. You don't have the stress of getting up early to shower. You don't have to leave 20 minutes earlier to avoid traffic times," said White. It's also saving her an hour and a half a day commuting from Ingleside to the Southside of Corpus Christi, not to mention the cost of gas.
"That was my biggest dislike after the pandemic," said White who is now among those who are helping forever reshape the workplace.
In a 2021 Gallup workforce study, 91 percent of workers surveyed were hoping their ability to work at home persisted even after the pandemic. Three in ten employees working remotely say they are extremely likely to seek another job if their company eliminated remote work.
"The workforce overall has changed so much. It's a job seeker's choice nowadays. They have so many options, the landscape has changed," said Xena Mercado with Workforce Solutions of the Coastal Bend.
Mercado said people are thinking smarter, not harder, and "that is pushing employers to learn how to do business differently."
She also pointed out that employers in bigger cities are catching on to the work from home trend and are offering remote work or a hybrid in an effort to prevent losing talent, but not so much in our area.
"Regionally employers are still leaning more toward face to face interaction, but if you look at the job postings on WorkInTexas, Linkedin, Indeed, you see a lot more remote opportunities," explained Mercado.
For White, making the big switch to another employer that allowed remote work was the breath of fresh air she had been searching for. "I take Whiskey for a walk, and then I start work about 5 minutes before I have to be logged on. I turn on my computer and that's it, no stress," she said.
There are thousands of jobs available in our region, but many employers say workers have simply not returned. We have begun our dive into this changing workforce, the benefits for some and the challenges it's created.
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