In November 2021, the U.S. workforce sent a seismic shock through the economy as a record 4.53 million people handed in their resignations in a single month, sparking the historic and data-rich phenomenon we now call the Great Resignation.
Key Takeaways
- In November 2021, the US saw a record 4.53 million quits, the highest monthly total ever recorded by the BLS, marking a 0.2 percentage point increase from October
- The quit rate reached 3.0% in November 2021, the highest since the series began in December 2000, affecting all major industries
- From January to November 2021, total quits exceeded 40 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 25%
- Leisure and hospitality saw 1.2 million quits in Nov 2021 alone
- Healthcare quits rate reached 3.5% in 2021 peak, highest among sectors
- Retail trade quits totaled 1.0 million monthly average in 2021
- 25-34 year olds quit at 3.2% rate in 2021, highest demographic
- Workers aged 35-44 quit rate 2.4% annual 2021 average
- 45-54 year olds had 1.8% quit rate, lower than younger cohorts
- Average wage growth accelerated to 4.7% in 2021 amid quits
- Nominal wage increase 5.1% YoY Dec 2021, highest since 2001
- Leisure/hospitality wages up 15% in 2021 due to quits
- 41% of companies raised wages in response to 2021 quits
- 50% of firms increased signing bonuses by 20% avg 2021-22
- Remote work offers doubled from 5% to 12% jobs 2021
The Great Resignation saw a historic and widespread surge in workers voluntarily quitting their jobs.
Demographics
125-34 year olds quit at 3.2% rate in 2021, highest demographic
Verified2Workers aged 35-44 quit rate 2.4% annual 2021 average
Verified345-54 year olds had 1.8% quit rate, lower than younger cohorts
Verified455+ workers quit rate 1.2%, most stable group 2021
Directional5Women quit rate 2.6% vs men 2.3% in 2021
Single source6Black workers quit rate 2.7%, highest racial group 2021
Verified7Whites quit 2.4%, Asians 2.1% quit rates 2021 average
Verified8Hispanics quit 2.9%, driving ethnic turnover 2021
Verified9Less than HS diploma quit rate 3.5%, highest education level 2021
Directional10HS graduates quit 2.8%, some college 2.5% rates 2021
Single source11College grads quit 1.9%, lowest edu group 2021
Verified12Full-time workers quit 2.5x part-time rate in 2021
Verified13Millennials (25-40) 60% considered quitting per Deloitte
Verified14Gen Z quit rate 4.2%, leading age group 2021-22
Directional15Parents with young kids quit 2x non-parents rate 2021
Single source16Remote workers 2x more likely to quit voluntarily 2021
Verified17Low-wage (<$40k) workers quit rate 4.0% vs high-wage 1.5% 2021
Verified18Urban workers quit 15% higher than rural in 2021 surveys
Verified1952% of women vs 45% men job hunted in 2021
Directional20Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders quit rate 3.1% highest ethnic 2021
Single source21Self-employed quit proxy (business closures) up 20% 2021 young adults
Verified2216-19 year olds quit seasonally high 5.8% summer 2021
Verified23Married workers quit 10% less than single 2021
VerifiedDemographics Interpretation
The Great Resignation data reveals a workplace rebellion that was loudest among the young, the underpaid, and the overburdened, proving that a bad job, like a bad roommate, is easiest to leave when you have the least to lose and the most life left to live.
Economic Effects
1Average wage growth accelerated to 4.7% in 2021 amid quits
Verified2Nominal wage increase 5.1% YoY Dec 2021, highest since 2001
Verified3Leisure/hospitality wages up 15% in 2021 due to quits
Verified4Job switchers gained 10% wage premium vs stayers in 2021
Directional5Inflation-adjusted wages flat despite nominal gains 2021-22
Single source6Productivity per worker fell 1.5% in 2021 amid turnover
Verified7Unemployment rate dropped to 3.9% by end-2021 despite quits
Verified8Labor force participation fell to 61.3% in 2021 from 63.3% 2019
Verified94 million workers left labor force permanently by 2022
Directional10GDP growth 5.9% 2021 boosted by consumer spending post-quits
Single source11Corporate profits up 30% in 2021 despite hiring challenges
Verified12Small businesses vacancy rate 8% vs 5% large firms 2021
Verified13Consumer confidence index peaked 115 in 2021 amid job mobility
Verified14Household savings rate dropped to 3.8% 2021 from 16% pandemic
Directional15Overtime hours up 10% in manufacturing compensating quits
Single source16Prime-age participation gap widened 2% for men 2021
Verified17Federal stimulus correlated with 20% quit surge Q2-Q4 2021
Verified18Regional quits highest South 2.8% vs Northeast 2.1% 2021
Verified19Gig economy participation up 15% as quit alternative 2021
Directional208.5% wage growth for switchers in low-wage sectors 2021
Single source21Cost to replace worker averaged $15k amid 2021 quits
Verified22Inflation hit 7% Dec 2021, eroding real wage gains
Verified2370% of quitters found new jobs within 3 months 2021-22
Verified24Job satisfaction rose to 51% post-quit for movers 2021
DirectionalEconomic Effects Interpretation
While the historic game of musical chairs saw workers finally snagging a raise, the music of inflation and flat productivity meant the party's real punchbowl was, frustratingly, still half empty.
Employer Responses
141% of companies raised wages in response to 2021 quits
Verified250% of firms increased signing bonuses by 20% avg 2021-22
Verified3Remote work offers doubled from 5% to 12% jobs 2021
Verified433% of employers improved benefits packages post-2021 quits
Directional5Training investments up 25% to retain amid resignation wave
Single source665% of quitters cited no career development as reason 2021, prompting programs
Verified7Mental health benefits adopted by 40% firms new in 2021-22
Verified8Flexible hours offered by 58% employers up from 37% pre-2021
Verified9Retention bonuses implemented by 30% companies Q4 2021
Directional10Employee engagement surveys up 50% usage post-resignation
Single source114-day workweek trials by 20% firms in response 2021-22
Verified12DEI initiatives boosted 35% funding amid talent wars 2021
Verified13Turnover costs estimated $1 trillion US economy 2021, spurring changes
Verified1475% managers untrained for retention pre-2021, now 60% trained
Directional15Childcare support added by 25% firms for parents 2022
Single source16Wellness programs expanded to 70% large firms post-quits
Verified17Internal mobility promotions up 40% to curb external quits
Verified18Pay transparency policies adopted by 45% post-2021 surveys
Verified19Hybrid models permanent in 52% offices by 2022 response
Directional20Exit interviews standardized in 80% firms amid wave
Single source2155% CEOs personally involved in retention strategies 2022
Verified22Job sharing/flex roles increased 30% offerings 2021-22
VerifiedEmployer Responses Interpretation
The workforce’s mass exodus wasn't just a resignation letter; it was an itemized bill that companies finally decided to pay in currency ranging from cash and flexibility to training and dignity.
Industry Impacts
1Leisure and hospitality saw 1.2 million quits in Nov 2021 alone
Verified2Healthcare quits rate reached 3.5% in 2021 peak, highest among sectors
Verified3Retail trade quits totaled 1.0 million monthly average in 2021
Verified4Construction sector quit rate at 2.8% in late 2021, up 50% from 2019
Directional5Professional/business services had 900k quits in Nov 2021
Single source6Manufacturing quits up 25% YoY to 350k monthly in 2021
Verified7Accommodation/food services quit rate 6.4% peak in 2021, double overall
Verified8Transportation quit rate 3.2% in 2021, driven by drivers
Verified9Finance/insurance quits steady at 1.8%, lowest among majors
Directional10Education/health services saw 700k quits monthly peak 2021
Single source11Wholesale trade quits rose 40% to 150k monthly in 2021
Verified12Information sector quit rate 2.5% in 2021, tech boom related
Verified13Government quits minimal at 1.0% rate, stable amid private surge
Verified14Mining/oil/gas quit rate spiked to 4.0% in energy boom 2021
Directional15Arts/entertainment/recreation quits 5.5% rate peak 2021 reopening
Single source16Other services quit rate 3.8% in 2021, personal care driven
Verified17Federal government quits lowest at 0.8% throughout 2021-22
Verified18State/local govt quits rose to 1.5% amid teacher shortages 2021
Verified19Durable goods manufacturing quits 3.1% peak
Directional20Nondurable goods quits steady 2.9%, food/bev led
Single source21Tech industry (info sector) saw 20% quit increase 2021
Verified22Hospitality turnover 150% annual rate in 2021
Verified23Retail quit rate 4.0% average 2021
Verified24Healthcare worker quits up 30% in nursing 2021
Directional25Construction quits doubled to 500k total Q4 2021
Single sourceIndustry Impacts Interpretation
When the world reopened for business, it seems a staggering number of employees decided the business they were in was no longer their business, with hospitality and healthcare workers leading the charge out of the door while government employees, for better or worse, largely stayed put.
Post-Resignation Trends
1Quits declined 25% by mid-2022 after response measures
Verified2Job openings-to-quits ratio fell from 1.2:1 to 1.0:1 by 2023
Verified358% of 2021 quitters happier in new roles per surveys
Verified4Regret quitting reported by 40% within 6 months 2022
Directional5Labor hoarding emerged, quits down but openings high 2023
Single source6Quiet quitting trend rose, 50% disengaged post-peak 2022
Verified7Re-entry rate 70% for quitters by 2023
Verified8Wage growth slowed to 3.5% as quits normalized 2023
Verified9Burnout cited less, career growth more in later quits 2022-23
Directional10Hybrid work stabilized at 28% full remote by 2023
Single source11Turnover intent fell from 30% to 16% by 2023 Gallup
Verified12Sector recovery uneven, hospitality quits still 4% 2023
Verified13Boomerang hires up 15%, rehiring quitters 2022-23
Verified14Engagement rose to 34% post interventions 2023
Directional15AI hiring tools adopted 40% to fill post-quit gaps
Single source16Participation rebounded to 62.7% by 2023
Verified17Great Regret: 72% job seekers paused amid recession fears 2023
Verified18Monthly quits averaged 3.6M stabilizing 2023
Verified19Skill-based hiring up 50% post-turnover learnings
Directional20Female participation gap closed 1% post-2022
Single source21Corporate culture focus shifted 80% priority 2023 surveys
VerifiedPost-Resignation Trends Interpretation
The data paints a picture of a collective workplace hangover: after the raucous party of 'The Great Resignation,' we sobered up, realized some of our new jobs weren't the soulmates we'd imagined, and quietly slunk back to our old flames with a begrudging promise to finally fix the leaky tap of lousy corporate culture.
Quit Rates and Volumes
1In November 2021, the US saw a record 4.53 million quits, the highest monthly total ever recorded by the BLS, marking a 0.2 percentage point increase from October
Verified2The quit rate reached 3.0% in November 2021, the highest since the series began in December 2000, affecting all major industries
Verified3From January to November 2021, total quits exceeded 40 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 25%
Verified4In 2021, the annual quit rate averaged 2.5%, up from 2.0% in 2019, driven by labor market tightness
Directional5December 2021 quits hit 4.33 million, with a rate of 2.9%, continuing the elevated trend
Single source6Quit rate peaked at 3.04% in low-wage leisure and hospitality sector in late 2021
Verified7Total separations reached 6.5 million in November 2021, with quits comprising 70% of them
Verified8From 2020 to 2021, quits increased by 50% year-over-year in Q4
Verified9In January 2022, quits were 4.0 million at 2.7% rate, down slightly but still high
Directional10Quit rate for women rose to 2.8% in 2021, higher than men's 2.3%
Single source11Native-born workers quit at 2.6% rate in 2021 vs 1.8% for foreign-born
Verified12Youth (16-24) quit rate hit 4.5% in 2021, double the overall average
Verified13By March 2022, cumulative quits since Jan 2021 exceeded 47 million
Verified14Quit rate fell to 2.2% by mid-2022 but remained 20% above 2019 levels
Directional15In 2021, 47% of US workers considered quitting, per Gallup
Single source16September 2021 saw 4.4 million quits, highest at the time
Verified17Total quits in 2022 reached 50.8 million for the year
Verified18Quit rate in professional services hit 2.1% peak in 2021
Verified19Layoffs minimal at 1.2% rate, quits drove 80% of separations in 2021
Directional20By end-2021, quits were 40% higher than 2019 average monthly
Single source21Quit rate for Hispanics reached 2.9% in 2021 annual average
Verified22In Q1 2022, 4.5 million monthly quits average
Verified23Overall separation rate peaked at 4.2% in Nov 2021
Verified24Quits in manufacturing up 30% YoY in 2021
Directional252021 saw highest quits since BLS tracking began in 2001
Single source26Quit rate dropped to 2.0% by Dec 2022, normalizing post-peak
Verified27Total job openings hit 11 million in 2021 amid quits
Verified28Quits accounted for 25% of labor force turnover in 2021
Verified29Peak monthly quits per capita reached 3% of employed in late 2021
Directional30By 2023, quits stabilized at 3.6 million monthly, 20% above pre-pandemic
Single sourceQuit Rates and Volumes Interpretation
The American workforce staged an unprecedented collective walkout, proving that when people are told for two years they are 'essential' yet treated as expendable, they will finally, en masse, decide to become non-essential somewhere else.
Sources & References
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