In this episode, Cameron Abadi and Adam Tooze discuss the larger implications of the Great Resignation and the booming sales of pet food.

On this episode of Ones and Tooze, we talk about 10.4 million—that’s the number of jobs that are currently unfilled in the U.S. economy as of September, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s not much different than the record high of 10.9 million openings that were recorded back in July. As COVID-19 vaccinations have increased and the economy has continued to open up, employers have been finding it incredibly difficult to find workers to fill jobs.

Economists are calling it the “Great Resignation”—this phenomenon of people exiting the labor force in droves and employers struggling to fill their openings. Adam Tooze and Cameron Abadi examine the Great Resignation and what it may portend for the economy.

Then, the two hosts discuss the billions of dollars Americans spend each year in the growing market for pet food. Is this consumerism run amok, or does the connection between humans and pets tell a different story about the value of animal companionship?

For more information visit the podcast website at Foreign Policy