Another COVID-19 post. I know. Bear with me.
I promise this isn’t about anyone catching an infection. I also promise I’m not about toxic positivity vomit all over you. I will never utter the phrase, “But look at the bright side!” when it comes to the pandemic. No matter your feelings towards the last 18+ months, all of us had a burden, in some way, we shouldn’t have carried. From layoffs to job changing to schools closing to maybe someone you love having a bad case. But as I sit here looking at what our “normal” looks like right now, I can’t help but be captivated.
I’ve always been a seeker of knowledge, and much to my detriment at times, I love consuming data and news on what is happening in my city, in my country, in my world. I am fascinated with the human condition and how we respond to situations on both small and macro scales. The economy intrigues me just as much as how humans react in these social situations, and how certain motivators cause them to act in the way that they do.
I really should have majored in sociology.
Even though our world is ever-changing and revolving, sometimes big things have to happen to actually change the landscape. And man, how big things have happened.
“The Great Resignation”
You may have heard this term thrown about, but the job market is experiencing a paradigm shift, something that I haven’t seen to this extent in my working career. COVID-19 taught employers and employees alike that not only can many American jobs be done at home, employees have been incredibly productive at doing so. Others have decided that the wages they were previously making weren’t worth the risk of catching COVID for those front-line positions. And then there are other parents who realized they could work with just one income, and have another parent stay at home with their children. This has led to employees demanding higher wages or flexibility, and employers needing to adapt fast, or else risk losing quality talent. An employee’s options have also expanded like never before.
Before 2020, many workers wouldn’t have considered finding an out-of-state remote position. Now, more jobs and opportunities are available than ever before, allowing employees to find a company whose culture and flexibility aligns more with their needs and desires.
It’s a strange time to be alive.
I myself benefited to finding a position that I never would have thought to look for, that is, a remote, out-of-state job. Being able to compete for these advancements on a national level, instead of being forced to search only at a certain 25 mile radius is a indeed a game changer.
A Little Extra Something
Or what I like to call: Stimulus checks. Wasn’t that a sweet treat of 2020? Even before the stimulus checks, my family financially benefited during the stay-at-home orders or quarantines, since it meant that I wasn’t out spending money on entertainment or frivolous purchases. I watched my bank account grow. Due to this extra cash flow and savings, my personal household goals sped up to finally purchasing our home, which also leads me to–
A Thriving Housing Market
There were quite a few of us who planned on buying homes in the future, and suddenly, our plans were expedited. A rush of homeowners and investors crowded the market due to record number of low interest rates. This caused a typically healthy inventory of homes to slim down, making the mad rush to find a home even more difficult. But it was a win/win for both parties – sellers’ property increased due to demand, making a high return on investment, and buyers benefited from the extraordinary low interest rates, increasing their purchasing power.
What’s to Come?
As with almost every stage of this pandemic, it’s tough to forecast what we should expect in the next few months. I personally am sitting here hoping the latest surge will be the last, and life can continue at levels that were pre-pandemic. A part of me understand that’s not entirely realistic and maybe there will be things that are here to stay. More flexible work environments. A prioritization on what’s important to your family. How we can take what we’ve learned and used it to our benefit. I personally have embraced this new chapter of life in a new home, about to start a new move in my career, and focused on not letting lessons learned be forgotten so quickly. I hope there’s been some Covid positive in your life too.
