Are Sign-On Bonuses Driving Higher Quit Rates?

Sign-on bonuses are encouraging manufacturing employees to job-hop, according to experts interviewed by IndustryWeek.

Ball State University economics professor Michael Hicks says two classes of manufacturing jobs have emerged in recent years: high-wage jobs compatible with increasing automation and low-wage jobs too cheap to automate. Workers in the latter group — now facing more job options — “can stay at a business long enough to earn the sign-on bonus, then move onto the next one,” Hicks said. 5/12/2022