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10 Worcester Business Journal | February 21, 2022 | wbjournal.com PHOTOS/MATT WRIGHT BY MONICA BENEVIDES WBJ Senior Staff Writer T he Great Resignation is plaguing employers large and small, and one hotly debated question has hiring managers asking where, exactly, all the quitting employees are moving to. In Central Massachusetts, it turns out, a lot of them are starting compa- nies of their own. e number of Central Massachusetts startups grew 15% in 2021, compared to a 0.5% decrease in 2020, according to a WBJ analysis of businesses incor- poration filings at the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. Entrepreneurialism in Central Massachusetts outpaced the state as a whole, which saw a drastic increase of its own with a 10% rise in startups last year, compared to a 3% increase in 2020, according to the WBJ study of the Secretary of the Commonwealth data. "Anecdotally, from our perspective, we've seen the trend which has been pretty evident across the country, that people have been leaving their old jobs to find new jobs or to start up new businesses, and we've definitely seen a lot of demand for entrepreneurial resources, especially over the last year," said David Sullivan, economic development and business recruitment associate at the Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce. While some workers may be bouncing from company to compa- ny, looking for better pay, benefits, and flexibility, the data is clear: A lot of folks are opting to become their own bosses, especially in and around Worcester. Central Massachusetts is mirroring the national trend, too, as the corona- virus pandemic forced people to leave their jobs and others to reconsider the value of their professional time. Last year, 5.4 million new business applica- tions were filed, up from the record 4.4 million in 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As COVID upended the economy and work- life balance, the number of new Central Mass. businesses soared to new heights in 2021 e year of the STARTUP Rocco's employee Myrna Rivera stocks the Worcester shop's display counter ahead of the new location's grand opening. Joseph Astrella, owner of Rocco's Doughnut Co., launched his business in 2018 after spending two decades in a corporate career he didn't enjoy. Recently having expanded his shop to Worcester, he has no regrets and encourages would-be entrepreneurs to chase their dreams.