The 'Great Detachment' | A new trend seeing employees trapped and disengaged

A new trend dubbed the ‘Great Detachment’ is sweeping across businesses, and is characterised by staff, especially young employees, staying in jobs they’re not fulfilled in.

This trend is largely caused by the cooling job market, which was once highly employee-driven after the pandemic and during the Great Resignation. This shift in the job market, paired with the cost-of-living crisis, has trapped employees in their current job roles.

With fewer roles to apply for and a more competitive job market, UK employees are being forced to stay in their jobs whilst often feeling disengaged and dissatisfied. And according to research from Gallup, the younger the employee, the more likely they are to be looking for a new role.

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Engagement woes | 90% of employees in the UK are quiet quitting, according to research

Essentially, employees are feeling a similar level of disengagement as they did during the Great Resignation, when workers left their jobs in the thousands for more fulfilling roles. However, this time, they are constrained by the market, and so remain unhappy in their job.