January 1, White House Sees ‘Unusually High’ Staff Turnover

The Biden administration is experiencing “unusually high staff turnover” as long hours, low morale, and low pay take a toll on aides and senior staff, AP reports.

The outlet noted that it’s not unusual for staff shakeups to take place 18 months into a presidency, but “the swiftness of the change has been stark at times.”

The departures include two-thirds of the White House press shop, a majority of the COVID-19 response team, two of President Joe Biden’s deputy counsels, and the staffer who manages the White House Twitter — all leaving within a few weeks of each other.

“It’s a normal time for this level of turnover in any administration,” said Emilie Simons, a spokesperson for the White House. “Government service involves sacrifice, and staff often have young children or promising careers in the private sector they put on hold, or opportunities for advancement within the administration or through graduate school.”

The White House staff departures mirror the broader trend of the so-called “Great Resignation.”

“We’ve seen these historic levels of quitting,” said Nick Bunker, the Indeed Hiring Lab’s director of economic research. ”We’ve also seen really rapid employment growth so that it’s people sort of taking advantage of the situation, getting new jobs, getting higher wages. So I think it is from a worker point of view, pretty much broadly a positive story.”