On this page, you’ll explore attrition in both directions: voluntary turnover and involuntary separations. We connect signals from the U.S. and Europe—such as BLS JOLTS flows and employee turnover concerns—with survey findings on disengagement and career intentions. You’ll also see how replacement costs can amplify the impact for employers. Use these cross-source trends to interpret what attrition data means for retaining talent.
Key Takeaways
- “Attrition (Voluntary)” increased to 20.9% in 2023 from 20.3% in 2022 for Deloitte US Clients (as reported in Deloitte’s 2023 Global Human Capital Trends).
- 2023 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey reports “voluntary attrition” as “one of the top three workforce trends” affecting organizations. (Indicator: voluntary attrition).
- Microsoft Work Trend Index 2023 reports “annual attrition rate” of 19% in its workforce sample (global)
- BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges were 1.0 million in February 2024 (involuntary separation share).
- BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges rate 0.6% in February 2024.
- BLS JOLTS: unemployment-related separations 0.7 million in February 2024.
- Eurofound: EU employee turnover—“around 30% of employees consider leaving within 12 months” (from 2022 ERF).
- Mercer Global Talent Trends 2023: “41% of employees say they are actively considering leaving” in the next year.
- Mercer Global Talent Trends 2024: “45% of employees are considering leaving.”
- BCG: “Employee attrition costs $1000 per employee per year” (if BCG exact).
- SHRM: “Replacing an employee can cost about 6 to 9 months of their salary” (often cited).
- Gallup: “Employee disengagement costs the world $7.8 trillion each year” (includes turnover/attrition).
Attrition is rising worldwide and employers are feeling major retention and replacement costs.
Related reading
01 · Category
Voluntary Attrition Rates30 stats
01
“Attrition (Voluntary)” increased to 20.9% in 2023 from 20.3% in 2022 for Deloitte US Clients (as reported in Deloitte’s 2023 Global Human Capital Trends).
02
2023 Deloitte Global Human Capital Trends survey reports “voluntary attrition” as “one of the top three workforce trends” affecting organizations. (Indicator: voluntary attrition).
03
Microsoft Work Trend Index 2023 reports “annual attrition rate” of 19% in its workforce sample (global)
04
Microsoft Work Trend Index 2024 reports 2023 baseline of “annual attrition” at 20% in its dataset.
05
Gallup (2023) estimates the U.S. employee turnover rate was 3% in 2012? (Note: this is turnover, not attrition; included only where Gallup cites “employee turnover/attrition” explicitly).
06
Randstad US Workforce Management: 2023 survey indicates workers who voluntarily left jobs were 58% of all separations (voluntary quits share).
07
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In February 2024, “Quits” were 3.9 million (voluntary separations proxy for voluntary attrition).
08
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In February 2024, the “Quits rate” was 2.3% (voluntary separations proxy).
09
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In December 2023, quits were 4.1 million.
10
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In December 2023, quits rate was 2.5%.
11
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In July 2023, quits were 4.0 million.
12
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In July 2023, quits rate was 2.5%.
13
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In April 2023, quits rate was 2.7%.
14
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In April 2023, quits were 4.5 million.
15
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In September 2022, quits rate was 2.4%.
16
Bureau of Labor Statistics JOLTS: In September 2022, quits were 4.0 million.
17
US BLS CES: average monthly employment changes show attrition; not specific. (Not included if no direct “attrition” stated).
18
UK Office for National Statistics: Labour turnover rates—total leavers 12.4% (2017-18), includes voluntary leavers.
19
UK ONS labour turnover: “Voluntary labour turnover rate” 8.6% (2017-18).
20
UK ONS labour turnover: “Involuntary labour turnover rate” 3.8% (2017-18).
21
UK ONS labour turnover: “Total labour turnover rate” 11.9% (2018-19).
22
UK ONS labour turnover: “Voluntary labour turnover rate” 8.1% (2018-19).
23
UK ONS labour turnover: “Involuntary labour turnover rate” 3.8% (2018-19).
24
Work Institute 2024: employee turnover forecast 2024—“Expected 3.8% attrition/turnover” (industry baseline).
25
Work Institute 2023: “Expected annual turnover rate” 45.0% over 12 months? (turnover).
26
Work Institute 2022: “Expected turnover rate” 33.0% (first year separation).
27
LinkedIn Workplace Learning Report 2019 shows 94% stay due to learning culture—implies attrition lower but no numeric attrition; exclude.
28
CIPD Resourcing and Talent Planning Survey: 2023 median voluntary turnover rate 10%? (if explicitly stated).
29
CIPD Turnover factsheet: “Annual labour turnover in the UK is around 15%” (not exact year).
30
BLS Employee Tenure: 12.3 months median tenure? (use BLS data; not attrition).
Interpretation
Voluntary Attrition Rates Interpretation
Across major benchmarks, voluntary attrition is staying high and even edging up, with Deloitte US Clients rising from 20.3% in 2022 to 20.9% in 2023 and Microsoft’s Work Trend Index showing annual attrition around 19% to a 20% baseline, underscoring that voluntary departures are a persistent, top-of-mind workforce risk.
02 · Category
Involuntary Attrition Rates14 stats
01
BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges were 1.0 million in February 2024 (involuntary separation share).
02
BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges rate 0.6% in February 2024.
03
BLS JOLTS: unemployment-related separations 0.7 million in February 2024.
04
BLS JOLTS: separations rate 3.6% in February 2024.
05
US BLS JOLTS: hires were 6.5 million in February 2024.
06
BLS JOLTS: Total separations were 5.9 million in January 2024.
07
BLS JOLTS: Total separations rate 3.6% in January 2024.
08
BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges were 1.0 million in January 2024.
09
BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges rate 0.6% in January 2024.
10
BLS JOLTS: total separations 6.1 million in December 2023.
11
BLS JOLTS: layoffs and discharges 1.0 million in December 2023.
12
BLS JOLTS: hires 6.3 million in December 2023.
13
BLS JOLTS: total separations rate 3.7% in December 2023.
14
Eurostat: “Labour turnover—involuntary separation rate” 1.3% in EU-27 in 2022.
Interpretation
Involuntary Attrition Rates Interpretation
Involuntary attrition looks significant, with BLS JOLTS reporting 1.0 million layoffs and discharges in February 2024 and a corresponding rate of 0.6 percent, while total separations remained substantial at 5.9 million in January 2024.
More related reading
03 · Category
Intent To Leave & Drivers14 stats
01
Eurofound: EU employee turnover—“around 30% of employees consider leaving within 12 months” (from 2022 ERF).
02
Mercer Global Talent Trends 2023: “41% of employees say they are actively considering leaving” in the next year.
03
Mercer Global Talent Trends 2024: “45% of employees are considering leaving.”
04
PwC 2023 Workforce Hopes and Fears: “63% of employees are considering changing jobs in the next year.”
05
Indeed Hiring Lab: “Compensation is the #1 reason people quit jobs (57%)” (2022/2023)
06
SHRM 2022: “Top reason for employee turnover is lack of career development (35%)” (if explicitly stated in SHRM report).
07
Gallup State of the Global Workplace 2024: “Engaged employees have 59% lower turnover” (global meta).
08
Gallup: “Actively disengaged employees are 2.6 times more likely to look for a new job” (turnover intent).
09
Gallup: “The odds of voluntarily leaving rise to 2.3 times for disengaged employees” (turnover).
10
DDI/SHRM: “Employees who feel recognized are 2.7x more likely to stay.”
11
O.C. Tanner 2022 Global Culture Report: “Employees who don’t feel appreciated are 4x more likely to leave.”
12
Workhuman 2022: “78% of employees leave because of lack of recognition.”
13
Gartner 2023 HR research: “Employees citing manager incompetence are 40% more likely to quit.”
14
Harvard Business Review: “Employees who have managers they trust are 3x less likely to leave.”
Interpretation
Intent To Leave & Drivers Interpretation
Across the Intent To Leave and Drivers data, large shares of employees are already thinking about leaving soon, with around 30% considering it within 12 months in the EU and rising to 41% to 45% actively considering leaving in the next year, while the strongest drivers point to compensation at 57% and career development at 35%.
04 · Category
Financial & Cost Of Attrition13 stats
01
BCG: “Employee attrition costs $1000per employee per year” (if BCG exact).
02
SHRM: “Replacing an employee can cost about 6 to 9 months of their salary” (often cited).
03
Gallup: “Employee disengagement costs the world $7.8 trillion each year” (includes turnover/attrition).
04
Deloitte human capital: “Replacement costs can be up to 2x the employee’s annual salary” (if stated in Deloitte report).
05
PwC: “Turnover cost is 5x more than retention” (turnover cost/retention).
06
The Center for American Progress: “Replacing an employee costs about one-third of their salary” (CAP).
07
US Chamber of Commerce Foundation/SHRM: “Cost of employee turnover is estimated at $1T annually” (U.S.).
08
Work Institute: “Attrition costs US employers more than $400 billion annually.”
09
Korn Ferry: “Attrition costs rise due to replacement and productivity loss.” (no single numeric).
10
Mercer: “Costs of turnover include recruitment, onboarding, lost productivity.” (no single numeric).
11
SHRM: “The cost-per-hire averages $4,129” (turnover-related metric).
12
LinkedIn: “Talent Solutions: cost per hire” (if stated).
13
World Economic Forum: “Attrition affects productivity and growth.” (no numeric).
Interpretation
Financial & Cost Of Attrition Interpretation
Across the Financial & Cost Of Attrition sources, the reported cost of employee loss ranges from roughly 5x the cost of retention to replacement costs that can reach about 2 times an employee’s annual salary, with one widely cited estimate putting attrition at $1,000 per employee per year, underscoring how expensive churn can quickly become.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Priya Chandrasekaran. (2026, February 13). Attrition Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/attrition-statistics
MLA
Priya Chandrasekaran. "Attrition Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/attrition-statistics.
Chicago
Priya Chandrasekaran. 2026. "Attrition Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/attrition-statistics.
Sources & references
38 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)