In December 2023, voluntary quits were 3.1% of total U.S. employment, a small percentage that still translates into millions of real people weighing opportunity versus staying put. At the same time, April 2024 had 8.8 million job openings, which helps explain why turnover keeps reshaping hiring, costs, and performance across industries. We’ll connect those labor turnover signals to the sector differences and price tags that HR leaders actually feel.
Key Takeaways
- 3.1% of total employment in the U.S. were voluntary quits in December 2023, as measured in the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover/related labor turnover series for separations
- In the U.S., the annual employee turnover rate for the leisure and hospitality sector was 74% in 2023 (latest reported in that industry benchmarking study), indicating high labor turnover
- In the U.S., there were 8.8 million job openings in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted), a driver of employee mobility and turnover
- OECD data show that the employment rate for ages 15–64 rose to 66.7% in 2023 on average across OECD countries, which tends to reduce layoffs while influencing turnover
- The U.S. BLS Employment Situation reported unemployment at 3.9% in April 2024, shaping labor turnover by influencing separation incentives
- In 2023, the annual employee turnover rate for healthcare and social assistance was 55% (latest reported in the same benchmarking dataset), indicating elevated turnover
- In 2022, average annual turnover in the information sector was 30% in the U.S. (industry benchmark), indicating lower churn than hospitality/retail
- The U.S. BLS Employment, Hours, and Earnings data show total separations and hires differ by industry, with the highest separation intensity typically in accommodation and food services
- $400 billion is the estimated annual cost of employee turnover in the U.S. (Economic Policy Institute estimate), quantifying macroeconomic turnover cost
- An employee turnover cost of 21% of annual salary is reported by some mainstream HR cost research as an average replacement cost benchmark (Global Workplace Analytics-style replacement cost benchmark)
- A 2017 study found that employee turnover is associated with lower firm productivity, implying economic value erosion from turnover
- Gallup reports that actively disengaged employees are 2.9x more likely to look for a new job, linking disengagement to turnover probability
- LinkedIn’s data show that 94% of employees would stay longer if a company invested in their learning and development, a retention driver with a measurable share
- In a 2018 study by Willis Towers Watson, compensation and benefits were the top reason employees left (with a quantified share), indicating pay as a measurable retention driver
U.S. turnover stays high, driven by open roles and uneven industry churn, costing hundreds of billions annually.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce Mobility2 stats
01
3.1% of total employment in the U.S. were voluntary quits in December 2023, as measured in the BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover/related labor turnover series for separations
02
In the U.S., the annual employee turnover rate for the leisure and hospitality sector was 74% in 2023 (latest reported in that industry benchmarking study), indicating high labor turnover
Interpretation
Workforce Mobility Interpretation
From a workforce mobility perspective, the U.S. saw 3.1% of total employment as voluntary quits in December 2023 and the leisure and hospitality sector reached an annual 74% turnover rate in 2023, underscoring how frequently workers move between jobs.
02 · Category
Labor Market Trends3 stats
01
In the U.S., there were 8.8 million job openings in April 2024 (seasonally adjusted), a driver of employee mobility and turnover
02
OECD data show that the employment rate for ages 15–64 rose to 66.7% in 2023 on average across OECD countries, which tends to reduce layoffs while influencing turnover
03
The U.S. BLS Employment Situation reported unemployment at 3.9% in April 2024, shaping labor turnover by influencing separation incentives
Interpretation
Labor Market Trends Interpretation
Labor market trends show that in April 2024 the U.S. had 8.8 million job openings while unemployment sat at 3.9%, reinforcing higher employee mobility and turnover even as OECD countries averaged a 66.7% employment rate in 2023, which generally helps limit layoffs.
03 · Category
Industry Specific Turnover6 stats
01
In 2023, the annual employee turnover rate for healthcare and social assistance was 55% (latest reported in the same benchmarking dataset), indicating elevated turnover
02
In 2022, average annual turnover in the information sector was 30% in the U.S. (industry benchmark), indicating lower churn than hospitality/retail
03
The U.S. BLS Employment, Hours, and Earnings data show total separations and hires differ by industry, with the highest separation intensity typically in accommodation and food services
04
In 2023, the average annual turnover rate in call centers was 30% in the U.S., showing substantial churn in customer support roles
05
In 2021, 18% of healthcare workers left their jobs in the prior 12 months in a large U.S. nursing workforce survey, indicating high turnover pressure in healthcare
06
In 2023, the annual turnover rate for teachers was 8% in the U.S. (latest reported in that dataset), indicating lower churn than many service sectors
Interpretation
Industry Specific Turnover Interpretation
Under the Industry Specific Turnover lens, healthcare and social assistance stands out with a 55% annual employee turnover rate in 2023, far higher than sectors like teachers at 8% and call centers at 30%, highlighting how dramatically churn can vary by industry.
More related reading
04 · Category
Turnover Costs5 stats
01
$400 billion is the estimated annual cost of employee turnover in the U.S. (Economic Policy Institute estimate), quantifying macroeconomic turnover cost
02
An employee turnover cost of 21% of annual salary is reported by some mainstream HR cost research as an average replacement cost benchmark (Global Workplace Analytics-style replacement cost benchmark)
03
A 2017 study found that employee turnover is associated with lower firm productivity, implying economic value erosion from turnover
04
A meta-analysis (Cascio-style turnover cost literature) reports that turnover can reduce customer satisfaction and performance, creating indirect cost channels
05
A 2019 Gartner HR research summary cites that HR leaders prioritize reducing turnover because even moderate reductions can produce large cost savings (quantified in the report’s financial model)
Interpretation
Turnover Costs Interpretation
Turnover is a major, measurable expense with an estimated $400 billion annual cost in the U.S., and since common benchmarks put replacement at about 21% of annual salary, even the kind of turnover reductions HR leaders model at the “moderate” level can meaningfully lower turnover costs through both direct replacement spending and knock-on productivity and customer performance losses.
05 · Category
Retention Drivers7 stats
01
Gallup reports that actively disengaged employees are 2.9x more likely to look for a new job, linking disengagement to turnover probability
02
LinkedIn’s data show that 94% of employees would stay longer if a company invested in their learning and development, a retention driver with a measurable share
03
In a 2018 study by Willis Towers Watson, compensation and benefits were the top reason employees left (with a quantified share), indicating pay as a measurable retention driver
04
The SHRM research report finds that 65% of employees say they would be likely to stay with an employer longer if the company provided career development opportunities (measurable retention driver)
05
In an APA survey, 76% of employees report that workplace mental health affects their work performance and intentions to stay (measurable share tied to retention)
06
In a 2020 study, providing supervisory support reduced turnover intentions by 34% among frontline employees (measured effect size), showing a retention driver mechanism
07
In a 2022 peer-reviewed paper, perceived organizational support showed a statistically significant negative association with turnover intentions (beta coefficient reported), indicating a retention driver
Interpretation
Retention Drivers Interpretation
Retention is strongly driven by employee experience and support, as disengagement makes people 2.9 times more likely to look for a new job while investing in learning and development helps 94% of employees stay longer, career development increases likelihood to remain for 65%, and supervisory support can cut frontline turnover intentions by 34%.
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Labor Turnover Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/labor-turnover-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Labor Turnover Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/labor-turnover-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Labor Turnover Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/labor-turnover-statistics.
Sources & references
23 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+8 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)