A record 4.53 million US workers quit their jobs in a single month. This data reveals where the turnover was highest and how the workforce reshaped the economy.
Key Takeaways
- 25-34 year olds quit at 3.2% rate in 2021, highest demographic
- Average wage growth accelerated to 4.7% in 2021 amid quits
- 41% of companies raised wages in response to 2021 quits
- Leisure and hospitality saw 1.2 million quits in Nov 2021 alone
- Quits declined 25% by mid-2022 after response measures
- 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
Millions of workers are quitting for better pay, flexibility, and career prospects, reshaping the labor market.
Related reading
01 · Category
Demographics23 stats
01
25-34 year olds quit at 3.2% rate in 2021, highest demographic
02
Workers aged 35-44 quit rate 2.4% annual 2021 average
03
45-54 year olds had 1.8% quit rate, lower than younger cohorts
04
55+ workers quit rate 1.2%, most stable group 2021
05
Women quit rate 2.6% vs men 2.3% in 2021
06
Black workers quit rate 2.7%, highest racial group 2021
07
Whites quit 2.4%, Asians 2.1% quit rates 2021 average
08
Hispanics quit 2.9%, driving ethnic turnover 2021
09
Less than HS diploma quit rate 3.5%, highest education level 2021
10
HS graduates quit 2.8%, some college 2.5% rates 2021
11
College grads quit 1.9%, lowest edu group 2021
12
Full-time workers quit 2.5x part-time rate in 2021
13
Millennials (25-40) 60% considered quitting per Deloitte
14
Gen Z quit rate 4.2%, leading age group 2021-22
15
Parents with young kids quit 2x non-parents rate 2021
16
Remote workers 2x more likely to quit voluntarily 2021
17
Low-wage (<$40k) workers quit rate 4.0% vs high-wage 1.5% 2021
18
Urban workers quit 15% higher than rural in 2021 surveys
19
52% of women vs 45% men job hunted in 2021
20
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders quit rate 3.1% highest ethnic 2021
21
Self-employed quit proxy (business closures) up 20% 2021 young adults
22
16-19 year olds quit seasonally high 5.8% summer 2021
23
Married workers quit 10% less than single 2021
Interpretation
Demographics 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.
02 · Category
Economic Effects24 stats
01
Average wage growth accelerated to 4.7% in 2021 amid quits
02
Nominal wage increase 5.1% YoY Dec 2021, highest since 2001
03
Leisure/hospitality wages up 15% in 2021 due to quits
04
Job switchers gained 10% wage premium vs stayers in 2021
05
Inflation-adjusted wages flat despite nominal gains 2021-22
06
Productivity per worker fell 1.5% in 2021 amid turnover
07
Unemployment rate dropped to 3.9% by end-2021 despite quits
08
Labor force participation fell to 61.3% in 2021 from 63.3% 2019
09
4 million workers left labor force permanently by 2022
10
GDP growth 5.9% 2021 boosted by consumer spending post-quits
11
Corporate profits up 30% in 2021 despite hiring challenges
12
Small businesses vacancy rate 8% vs 5% large firms 2021
13
Consumer confidence index peaked 115 in 2021 amid job mobility
14
Household savings rate dropped to 3.8% 2021 from 16% pandemic
15
Overtime hours up 10% in manufacturing compensating quits
16
Prime-age participation gap widened 2% for men 2021
17
Federal stimulus correlated with 20% quit surge Q2-Q4 2021
18
Regional quits highest South 2.8% vs Northeast 2.1% 2021
19
Gig economy participation up 15% as quit alternative 2021
20
8.5% wage growth for switchers in low-wage sectors 2021
21
Cost to replace worker averaged $15k amid 2021 quits
22
Inflation hit 7% Dec 2021, eroding real wage gains
23
70% of quitters found new jobs within 3 months 2021-22
24
Job satisfaction rose to 51% post-quit for movers 2021
Interpretation
Economic 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.
03 · Category
Employer Responses22 stats
01
41% of companies raised wages in response to 2021 quits
02
50% of firms increased signing bonuses by 20% avg 2021-22
03
Remote work offers doubled from 5% to 12% jobs 2021
04
33% of employers improved benefits packages post-2021 quits
05
Training investments up 25% to retain amid resignation wave
06
65% of quitters cited no career development as reason 2021, prompting programs
07
Mental health benefits adopted by 40% firms new in 2021-22
08
Flexible hours offered by 58% employers up from 37% pre-2021
09
Retention bonuses implemented by 30% companies Q4 2021
10
Employee engagement surveys up 50% usage post-resignation
11
4-day workweek trials by 20% firms in response 2021-22
12
DEI initiatives boosted 35% funding amid talent wars 2021
13
Turnover costs estimated $1 trillion US economy 2021, spurring changes
14
75% managers untrained for retention pre-2021, now 60% trained
15
Childcare support added by 25% firms for parents 2022
16
Wellness programs expanded to 70% large firms post-quits
17
Internal mobility promotions up 40% to curb external quits
18
Pay transparency policies adopted by 45% post-2021 surveys
19
Hybrid models permanent in 52% offices by 2022 response
20
Exit interviews standardized in 80% firms amid wave
21
55% CEOs personally involved in retention strategies 2022
22
Job sharing/flex roles increased 30% offerings 2021-22
Interpretation
Employer 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.
More related reading
04 · Category
Industry Impacts25 stats
01
Leisure and hospitality saw 1.2 million quits in Nov 2021 alone
02
Healthcare quits rate reached 3.5% in 2021 peak, highest among sectors
03
Retail trade quits totaled 1.0 million monthly average in 2021
04
Construction sector quit rate at 2.8% in late 2021, up 50% from 2019
05
Professional/business services had 900k quits in Nov 2021
06
Manufacturing quits up 25% YoY to 350k monthly in 2021
07
Accommodation/food services quit rate 6.4% peak in 2021, double overall
08
Transportation quit rate 3.2% in 2021, driven by drivers
09
Finance/insurance quits steady at 1.8%, lowest among majors
10
Education/health services saw 700k quits monthly peak 2021
11
Wholesale trade quits rose 40% to 150k monthly in 2021
12
Information sector quit rate 2.5% in 2021, tech boom related
13
Government quits minimal at 1.0% rate, stable amid private surge
14
Mining/oil/gas quit rate spiked to 4.0% in energy boom 2021
15
Arts/entertainment/recreation quits 5.5% rate peak 2021 reopening
16
Other services quit rate 3.8% in 2021, personal care driven
17
Federal government quits lowest at 0.8% throughout 2021-22
18
State/local govt quits rose to 1.5% amid teacher shortages 2021
19
Durable goods manufacturing quits 3.1% peak
20
Nondurable goods quits steady 2.9%, food/bev led
21
Tech industry (info sector) saw 20% quit increase 2021
22
Hospitality turnover 150% annual rate in 2021
23
Retail quit rate 4.0% average 2021
24
Healthcare worker quits up 30% in nursing 2021
25
Construction quits doubled to 500k total Q4 2021
Interpretation
Industry 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.
05 · Category
Post-Resignation Trends21 stats
01
Quits declined 25% by mid-2022 after response measures
02
Job openings-to-quits ratio fell from 1.2:1 to 1.0:1 by 2023
03
58% of 2021 quitters happier in new roles per surveys
04
Regret quitting reported by 40% within 6 months 2022
05
Labor hoarding emerged, quits down but openings high 2023
06
Quiet quitting trend rose, 50% disengaged post-peak 2022
07
Re-entry rate 70% for quitters by 2023
08
Wage growth slowed to 3.5% as quits normalized 2023
09
Burnout cited less, career growth more in later quits 2022-23
10
Hybrid work stabilized at 28% full remote by 2023
11
Turnover intent fell from 30% to 16% by 2023 Gallup
12
Sector recovery uneven, hospitality quits still 4% 2023
13
Boomerang hires up 15%, rehiring quitters 2022-23
14
Engagement rose to 34% post interventions 2023
15
AI hiring tools adopted 40% to fill post-quit gaps
16
Participation rebounded to 62.7% by 2023
17
Great Regret: 72% job seekers paused amid recession fears 2023
18
Monthly quits averaged 3.6M stabilizing 2023
19
Skill-based hiring up 50% post-turnover learnings
20
Female participation gap closed 1% post-2022
21
Corporate culture focus shifted 80% priority 2023 surveys
Interpretation
Post-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.
06 · Category
Quit Rates and Volumes30 stats
01
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
02
The quit rate reached 3.0% in November 2021, the highest since the series began in December 2000, affecting all major industries
03
From January to November 2021, total quits exceeded 40 million, surpassing pre-pandemic levels by 25%
04
In 2021, the annual quit rate averaged 2.5%, up from 2.0% in 2019, driven by labor market tightness
05
December 2021 quits hit 4.33 million, with a rate of 2.9%, continuing the elevated trend
06
Quit rate peaked at 3.04% in low-wage leisure and hospitality sector in late 2021
07
Total separations reached 6.5 million in November 2021, with quits comprising 70% of them
08
From 2020 to 2021, quits increased by 50% year-over-year in Q4
09
In January 2022, quits were 4.0 million at 2.7% rate, down slightly but still high
10
Quit rate for women rose to 2.8% in 2021, higher than men's 2.3%
11
Native-born workers quit at 2.6% rate in 2021 vs 1.8% for foreign-born
12
Youth (16-24) quit rate hit 4.5% in 2021, double the overall average
13
By March 2022, cumulative quits since Jan 2021 exceeded 47 million
14
Quit rate fell to 2.2% by mid-2022 but remained 20% above 2019 levels
15
In 2021, 47% of US workers considered quitting, per Gallup
16
September 2021 saw 4.4 million quits, highest at the time
17
Total quits in 2022 reached 50.8 million for the year
18
Quit rate in professional services hit 2.1% peak in 2021
19
Layoffs minimal at 1.2% rate, quits drove 80% of separations in 2021
20
By end-2021, quits were 40% higher than 2019 average monthly
21
Quit rate for Hispanics reached 2.9% in 2021 annual average
22
In Q1 2022, 4.5 million monthly quits average
23
Overall separation rate peaked at 4.2% in Nov 2021
24
Quits in manufacturing up 30% YoY in 2021
25
2021 saw highest quits since BLS tracking began in 2001
26
Quit rate dropped to 2.0% by Dec 2022, normalizing post-peak
27
Total job openings hit 11 million in 2021 amid quits
28
Quits accounted for 25% of labor force turnover in 2021
29
Peak monthly quits per capita reached 3% of employed in late 2021
30
By 2023, quits stabilized at 3.6 million monthly, 20% above pre-pandemic
Interpretation
Quit 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.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Elena Vasquez. (2026, February 13). Great Resignation Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/great-resignation-statistics
MLA
Elena Vasquez. "Great Resignation Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/great-resignation-statistics.
Chicago
Elena Vasquez. 2026. "Great Resignation Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/great-resignation-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level