Worker productivity is trending downward according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, but other studies tell a different story.
Key Details
- By dividing the hours of work put out by the number of active employees, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) determined that labor productivity is declining this year.
- Productivity did increase 0.3% in the third quarter, but this did little to make up for the productivity drop in the beginning of the year.
- Productivity declined 7.4% in the first quarter and another 4.1% in the second quarter.
- Despite the BLS findings, other studies have found the exact opposite—that productivity is up.
Why it’s news
Before quiet quitting, hustle culture was taking over the workplace. This mindset promoted workers going above and beyond the job description, often to the point of exhaustion.
It seems hustle culture is on its way out the door as more employees say that they are doing the minimum requirements at their job. Some even admit to doing less, according to a ResumeBuilder survey.
One way quiet quitting is taking shape is employees are reducing their work hours. This reduction could contribute to the U.S. BLS findings.
In the same survey, 83% of respondents explain that their practice of doing the minimum is related to feeling burnt out. This feeling of burn out seems to be driving the quiet quitting trend as more employees focus on a healthier work/life balance.
Critics of the trend suggest that employees should talk to managers about new positions or responsibilities in the company to help them feel excited about work again. Many point out that the employees who are willing to go above and beyond are more likely to see promotions and growth in their career.
The other side
Since the pandemic, remote work has grown more popular with employees, and the new work arrangement is turning out to be remarkably productive.
With fewer workers coming into the office, some managers worried that employees weren’t working as hard, but a new study from University of Texas professor Andrew Brodsky tells a different story.
Findings from Brodsky’s study show that workers are becoming more engaged and more productive with the freedom to work remotely. Other studies show that remote work may even prompt employees to work for longer periods of time due to lack of commute.
More jobs are able to be done remotely. A Gallup poll from last year found that nearly 50% of all full time jobs can be completed from home.
For many employees, work from home has become a must when looking for a job. More job seekers are looking for remote jobs, and many currently employed workers say they would consider looking for another job if forced back to the office, Fortune’s Chantel Rowe reports.
Employees have found that remote work is better able to promote their work/life balance—and that’s something they don’t want to give up.
