Resignation to Creation

·28 min·2 clips

What is the 'Great Creation' and how is it reshaping the American workforce after the pandemic?

The episode opens by questioning if the 'Great Resignation' has transitioned to a 'Great Creation', citing that 5.5 million new businesses started in 2023. Hosts present statistics showing quit rates at three-year lows but high entrepreneurial desire, with 62% of Americans wanting to be their own boss. Gallup's Jim Harder joins as a guest, explaining he studies workplace psychology rather than economics. He reveals employee engagement peaked at 36% pre-pandemic but dropped to 30% in early 2024, calling it a 'great disconnect' between workers and employers. Harder notes the biggest engagement drops were among young millennials, Gen Z, and remote workers, though some rebound occurred in Q2 2024. He discusses how hybrid work adds complexity for managers, who report higher burnout. The conversation shifts to nuclear power's resurgence, with hosts noting Biden signed bipartisan legislation to boost nuclear energy. They cite polls showing 77% of U.S. adults now favor nuclear power, the highest ever recorded. Dr. Jessica Boscarino, a Marist political science professor, joins to analyze this shift, attributing it to climate change concerns. She argues nuclear is the most highly regulated industry and safety mechanisms have improved since Fukushima. Boscarino compares the U.S. approach to France's heavy reliance on nuclear versus Germany's phase-out, noting the U.S. has inertia with existing plants. She explains nuclear is more expensive than renewables but provides reliable baseload power without intermittency issues. The episode concludes with a fun segment analyzing a 2010 CBS News/Vanity Fair poll that asked Americans to update 'as American as apple pie'. Results included 23% choosing 'Apple iPod', 23% NASCAR, 21% triple bacon cheeseburger, and 8% 'going to rehab'. Hosts speculate the rehab reference might relate to Amy Winehouse's song or Dr. Drew's Celebrity Rehab show. They discuss how such questions often appear at the end of serious surveys.

As heard by us

Poll Hub uses workplace churn, nuclear energy, and Americana polling to track how public opinion is shifting.

Poll Hub's "Resignation to Creation" frames Gallup workplace trends as a shift from quitting to rebuilding. Dr. Jim Harder, Gallup's Chief Scientist of Workplace Management and Well-Being, ties together quitting, hiring, co-worker satisfaction, and the role of managers as…

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Press play if you want the Great Resignation reframed as the Great Creation through Gallup workplace data before the conversation turns to nuclear power.

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