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Number of quits at all-time high in November 2021

January 06, 2022

In November 2021, the number of total separations increased to 6.3 million, up 382,000 from the previous month. Total separations increased in accommodation and food services but decreased in federal government. The number of quits increased 370,000 over the month to 4.5 million, the highest level ever recorded since these data were first produced in December 2000.

 Job separations, January 2011—November 2021, seasonally adjusted
Month Total separations     Quits     Layoffs and discharges Other separations

Jan 2011

4,001,000 1,832,000 1,827,000 342,000

Feb 2011

4,037,000 1,958,000 1,755,000 325,000

Mar 2011

4,142,000 2,033,000 1,794,000 315,000

Apr 2011

3,991,000 1,882,000 1,792,000 317,000

May 2011

4,189,000 1,965,000 1,904,000 320,000

Jun 2011

4,173,000 1,923,000 1,942,000 308,000

Jul 2011

4,153,000 1,986,000 1,845,000 322,000

Aug 2011

4,173,000 2,031,000 1,845,000 297,000

Sep 2011

4,208,000 2,041,000 1,872,000 296,000

Oct 2011

4,150,000 1,997,000 1,794,000 359,000

Nov 2011

4,267,000 2,039,000 1,912,000 316,000

Dec 2011

4,084,000 1,981,000 1,801,000 303,000

Jan 2012

4,158,000 2,030,000 1,797,000 332,000

Feb 2012

4,349,000 2,130,000 1,903,000 315,000

Mar 2012

4,277,000 2,167,000 1,784,000 326,000

Apr 2012

4,333,000 2,134,000 1,880,000 319,000

May 2012

4,437,000 2,138,000 1,969,000 331,000

Jun 2012

4,382,000 2,152,000 1,892,000 339,000

Jul 2012

4,151,000 2,072,000 1,722,000 357,000

Aug 2012

4,318,000 2,069,000 1,894,000 356,000

Sep 2012

4,092,000 1,950,000 1,805,000 337,000

Oct 2012

4,261,000 2,035,000 1,891,000 336,000

Nov 2012

4,347,000 2,078,000 1,921,000 347,000

Dec 2012

4,118,000 2,051,000 1,700,000 367,000

Jan 2013

4,347,000 2,280,000 1,678,000 388,000

Feb 2013

4,293,000 2,298,000 1,664,000 331,000

Mar 2013

4,241,000 2,124,000 1,787,000 331,000

Apr 2013

4,422,000 2,296,000 1,793,000 334,000

May 2013

4,442,000 2,234,000 1,836,000 371,000

Jun 2013

4,307,000 2,203,000 1,761,000 342,000

Jul 2013

4,421,000 2,363,000 1,713,000 345,000

Aug 2013

4,493,000 2,316,000 1,816,000 362,000

Sep 2013

4,519,000 2,302,000 1,892,000 325,000

Oct 2013

4,350,000 2,372,000 1,675,000 303,000

Nov 2013

4,367,000 2,391,000 1,630,000 346,000

Dec 2013

4,392,000 2,287,000 1,770,000 334,000

Jan 2014

4,435,000 2,311,000 1,806,000 319,000

Feb 2014

4,549,000 2,411,000 1,767,000 371,000

Mar 2014

4,518,000 2,449,000 1,703,000 367,000

Apr 2014

4,597,000 2,474,000 1,764,000 358,000

May 2014

4,572,000 2,483,000 1,710,000 379,000

Jun 2014

4,612,000 2,507,000 1,761,000 345,000

Jul 2014

4,748,000 2,633,000 1,781,000 334,000

Aug 2014

4,623,000 2,549,000 1,699,000 375,000

Sep 2014

4,855,000 2,732,000 1,718,000 405,000

Oct 2014

4,937,000 2,718,000 1,835,000 384,000

Nov 2014

4,682,000 2,600,000 1,726,000 356,000

Dec 2014

4,827,000 2,552,000 1,857,000 419,000

Jan 2015

4,886,000 2,764,000 1,789,000 333,000

Feb 2015

4,869,000 2,741,000 1,757,000 371,000

Mar 2015

5,102,000 2,754,000 1,973,000 375,000

Apr 2015

4,944,000 2,705,000 1,856,000 383,000

May 2015

4,825,000 2,743,000 1,711,000 371,000

Jun 2015

4,978,000 2,756,000 1,821,000 400,000

Jul 2015

4,848,000 2,764,000 1,703,000 381,000

Aug 2015

5,032,000 2,879,000 1,773,000 380,000

Sep 2015

5,110,000 2,778,000 1,964,000 367,000

Oct 2015

5,032,000 2,810,000 1,845,000 378,000

Nov 2015

5,089,000 2,897,000 1,779,000 414,000

Dec 2015

5,225,000 3,056,000 1,803,000 366,000

Jan 2016

5,099,000 2,875,000 1,805,000 419,000

Feb 2016

5,265,000 2,994,000 1,894,000 376,000

Mar 2016

5,133,000 2,917,000 1,850,000 366,000

Apr 2016

5,110,000 2,955,000 1,771,000 384,000

May 2016

5,176,000 3,009,000 1,825,000 342,000

Jun 2016

5,118,000 3,018,000 1,750,000 350,000

Jul 2016

5,065,000 2,967,000 1,759,000 339,000

Aug 2016

5,204,000 2,998,000 1,860,000 345,000

Sep 2016

4,985,000 3,047,000 1,588,000 350,000

Oct 2016

5,125,000 3,074,000 1,664,000 387,000

Nov 2016

5,139,000 3,026,000 1,751,000 362,000

Dec 2016

5,071,000 2,989,000 1,708,000 374,000

Jan 2017

5,291,000 3,166,000 1,738,000 387,000

Feb 2017

5,170,000 3,085,000 1,714,000 371,000

Mar 2017

5,271,000 3,145,000 1,759,000 367,000

Apr 2017

5,086,000 3,028,000 1,705,000 352,000

May 2017

5,297,000 3,125,000 1,804,000 367,000

Jun 2017

5,440,000 3,166,000 1,935,000 339,000

Jul 2017

5,297,000 3,107,000 1,858,000 332,000

Aug 2017

5,393,000 3,109,000 1,919,000 365,000

Sep 2017

5,413,000 3,214,000 1,885,000 314,000

Oct 2017

5,356,000 3,177,000 1,835,000 344,000

Nov 2017

5,259,000 3,166,000 1,740,000 353,000

Dec 2017

5,165,000 3,194,000 1,676,000 295,000

Jan 2018

5,369,000 3,034,000 1,994,000 341,000

Feb 2018

5,289,000 3,200,000 1,758,000 330,000

Mar 2018

5,468,000 3,305,000 1,783,000 381,000

Apr 2018

5,442,000 3,366,000 1,741,000 336,000

May 2018

5,502,000 3,401,000 1,767,000 334,000

Jun 2018

5,553,000 3,401,000 1,793,000 359,000

Jul 2018

5,578,000 3,444,000 1,791,000 342,000

Aug 2018

5,635,000 3,476,000 1,838,000 321,000

Sep 2018

5,539,000 3,424,000 1,778,000 337,000

Oct 2018

5,613,000 3,460,000 1,824,000 329,000

Nov 2018

5,683,000 3,435,000 1,905,000 343,000

Dec 2018

5,515,000 3,381,000 1,824,000 310,000

Jan 2019

5,511,000 3,521,000 1,689,000 301,000

Feb 2019

5,664,000 3,543,000 1,769,000 353,000

Mar 2019

5,575,000 3,524,000 1,721,000 331,000

Apr 2019

5,761,000 3,494,000 1,954,000 313,000

May 2019

5,571,000 3,487,000 1,776,000 307,000

Jun 2019

5,613,000 3,527,000 1,771,000 316,000

Jul 2019

5,797,000 3,627,000 1,826,000 344,000

Aug 2019

5,722,000 3,591,000 1,825,000 306,000

Sep 2019

5,777,000 3,449,000 1,982,000 345,000

Oct 2019

5,566,000 3,414,000 1,793,000 359,000

Nov 2019

5,644,000 3,482,000 1,788,000 374,000

Dec 2019

5,793,000 3,487,000 1,952,000 354,000

Jan 2020

5,714,000 3,568,000 1,788,000 358,000

Feb 2020

5,715,000 3,430,000 1,953,000 332,000

Mar 2020

16,308,000 2,902,000 13,046,000 360,000

Apr 2020

11,782,000 2,107,000 9,307,000 368,000

May 2020

4,618,000 2,206,000 2,096,000 316,000

Jun 2020

5,180,000 2,646,000 2,204,000 331,000

Jul 2020

5,392,000 3,182,000 1,845,000 365,000

Aug 2020

4,901,000 2,987,000 1,573,000 342,000

Sep 2020

5,235,000 3,307,000 1,555,000 373,000

Oct 2020

5,427,000 3,352,000 1,728,000 347,000

Nov 2020

5,744,000 3,296,000 2,123,000 325,000

Dec 2020

5,582,000 3,407,000 1,823,000 352,000

Jan 2021

5,323,000 3,306,000 1,724,000 294,000

Feb 2021

5,429,000 3,383,000 1,723,000 323,000

Mar 2021

5,436,000 3,568,000 1,525,000 343,000

Apr 2021

5,803,000 3,992,000 1,450,000 360,000

May 2021

5,330,000 3,630,000 1,353,000 347,000

Jun 2021

5,612,000 3,870,000 1,354,000 389,000

Jul 2021

5,792,000 4,028,000 1,423,000 341,000

Aug 2021

6,032,000 4,270,000 1,385,000 378,000

Sep 2021

6,147,000 4,362,000 1,396,000 388,000

Oct 2021

5,891,000 4,157,000 1,350,000 385,000

Nov 2021

6,273,000 4,527,000 1,369,000 377,000

Note: Total separations are the number of total separations during the entire month. Data for the most recent month are preliminary.

Quits numbered 3.5 million in November 2019 and 3.3 million in November 2020. In November 2021, quits increased in several industries, with the largest increases in accommodation and food services; health care and social assistance; and transportation, warehousing, and utilities.

In November, the number of layoffs and discharges was little changed at 1.4 million. Layoffs and discharges decreased in federal government.

The number of other separations was little changed at 377,000.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — November 2021." Also see charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and separations. Total separations is the sum of quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations. Quits are generally voluntary separations initiated by the employee. Therefore, the quits rate can serve as a measure of workers' willingness or ability to leave jobs. Layoffs and discharges are involuntary separations initiated by the employer. Other separations includes separations due to retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Number of quits at all-time high in November 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2022/number-of-quits-at-all-time-high-in-november-2021.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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