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3.2 million quits in November 2017

January 11, 2018

The number of quits, which are generally voluntary separations initiated by employees, was 3.2 million in November 2017. There were 1.7 million layoffs and discharges, which are involuntary separations initiated by employers. There were 341,000 other separations resulting from retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

Quits, layoffs and discharges, other separations, and total separations, January 2007–November 2017
Month     Quits     Layoffs and discharges Other separations Total separations

Jan 2007

2,988,000 1,746,000 410,000 5,144,000

Feb 2007

2,993,000 1,750,000 352,000 5,094,000

Mar 2007

2,989,000 1,788,000 346,000 5,123,000

Apr 2007

2,901,000 1,879,000 357,000 5,138,000

May 2007

3,008,000 1,755,000 318,000 5,080,000

Jun 2007

2,841,000 1,851,000 373,000 5,065,000

Jul 2007

2,947,000 1,759,000 412,000 5,118,000

Aug 2007

2,950,000 1,811,000 343,000 5,105,000

Sep 2007

2,643,000 2,079,000 309,000 5,031,000

Oct 2007

2,884,000 1,917,000 328,000 5,129,000

Nov 2007

2,777,000 1,919,000 334,000 5,031,000

Dec 2007

2,792,000 1,770,000 363,000 4,926,000

Jan 2008

2,831,000 1,843,000 332,000 5,005,000

Feb 2008

2,789,000 1,908,000 313,000 5,010,000

Mar 2008

2,575,000 1,835,000 352,000 4,762,000

Apr 2008

2,882,000 1,845,000 394,000 5,121,000

May 2008

2,602,000 1,842,000 285,000 4,728,000

Jun 2008

2,662,000 1,974,000 264,000 4,900,000

Jul 2008

2,550,000 1,894,000 269,000 4,713,000

Aug 2008

2,416,000 2,075,000 324,000 4,815,000

Sep 2008

2,446,000 1,963,000 342,000 4,751,000

Oct 2008

2,412,000 2,138,000 346,000 4,895,000

Nov 2008

2,063,000 2,190,000 352,000 4,605,000

Dec 2008

2,104,000 2,405,000 305,000 4,814,000

Jan 2009

2,043,000 2,573,000 358,000 4,974,000

Feb 2009

1,906,000 2,501,000 266,000 4,674,000

Mar 2009

1,794,000 2,433,000 308,000 4,536,000

Apr 2009

1,734,000 2,559,000 362,000 4,655,000

May 2009

1,740,000 2,121,000 286,000 4,146,000

Jun 2009

1,782,000 2,115,000 295,000 4,192,000

Jul 2009

1,726,000 2,273,000 298,000 4,297,000

Aug 2009

1,676,000 2,063,000 321,000 4,060,000

Sep 2009

1,639,000 2,127,000 318,000 4,084,000

Oct 2009

1,671,000 1,964,000 317,000 3,951,000

Nov 2009

1,784,000 1,823,000 267,000 3,873,000

Dec 2009

1,697,000 1,994,000 298,000 3,989,000

Jan 2010

1,668,000 1,874,000 352,000 3,894,000

Feb 2010

1,724,000 1,790,000 317,000 3,830,000

Mar 2010

1,793,000 1,830,000 326,000 3,949,000

Apr 2010

1,914,000 1,676,000 302,000 3,892,000

May 2010

1,790,000 1,733,000 307,000 3,831,000

Jun 2010

1,940,000 1,959,000 325,000 4,223,000

Jul 2010

1,848,000 2,081,000 350,000 4,278,000

Aug 2010

1,904,000 1,748,000 357,000 4,009,000

Sep 2010

1,921,000 1,768,000 337,000 4,026,000

Oct 2010

1,852,000 1,645,000 287,000 3,784,000

Nov 2010

1,778,000 1,753,000 311,000 3,843,000

Dec 2010

1,937,000 1,776,000 312,000 4,026,000

Jan 2011

1,825,000 1,710,000 373,000 3,908,000

Feb 2011

1,872,000 1,652,000 314,000 3,838,000

Mar 2011

1,967,000 1,709,000 304,000 3,980,000

Apr 2011

1,925,000 1,676,000 323,000 3,924,000

May 2011

2,037,000 1,692,000 306,000 4,035,000

Jun 2011

1,949,000 1,826,000 319,000 4,094,000

Jul 2011

1,981,000 1,749,000 352,000 4,082,000

Aug 2011

2,087,000 1,715,000 318,000 4,120,000

Sep 2011

2,046,000 1,756,000 313,000 4,115,000

Oct 2011

1,953,000 1,707,000 352,000 4,011,000

Nov 2011

1,949,000 1,757,000 296,000 4,001,000

Dec 2011

1,955,000 1,740,000 299,000 3,994,000

Jan 2012

1,977,000 1,707,000 326,000 4,010,000

Feb 2012

2,080,000 1,780,000 314,000 4,175,000

Mar 2012

2,164,000 1,653,000 317,000 4,134,000

Apr 2012

2,104,000 1,850,000 307,000 4,260,000

May 2012

2,186,000 1,828,000 322,000 4,336,000

Jun 2012

2,186,000 1,812,000 369,000 4,367,000

Jul 2012

2,103,000 1,668,000 367,000 4,138,000

Aug 2012

2,173,000 1,836,000 350,000 4,360,000

Sep 2012

1,977,000 1,745,000 337,000 4,059,000

Oct 2012

2,047,000 1,791,000 355,000 4,194,000

Nov 2012

2,069,000 1,789,000 314,000 4,171,000

Dec 2012

2,088,000 1,594,000 356,000 4,038,000

Jan 2013

2,297,000 1,602,000 397,000 4,297,000

Feb 2013

2,250,000 1,598,000 308,000 4,156,000

Mar 2013

2,083,000 1,710,000 320,000 4,113,000

Apr 2013

2,307,000 1,726,000 343,000 4,376,000

May 2013

2,253,000 1,735,000 374,000 4,363,000

Jun 2013

2,245,000 1,629,000 392,000 4,267,000

Jul 2013

2,364,000 1,654,000 366,000 4,384,000

Aug 2013

2,385,000 1,723,000 408,000 4,517,000

Sep 2013

2,404,000 1,782,000 350,000 4,537,000

Oct 2013

2,415,000 1,555,000 318,000 4,288,000

Nov 2013

2,372,000 1,542,000 354,000 4,268,000

Dec 2013

2,287,000 1,688,000 360,000 4,335,000

Jan 2014

2,348,000 1,728,000 367,000 4,443,000

Feb 2014

2,403,000 1,662,000 371,000 4,436,000

Mar 2014

2,431,000 1,631,000 391,000 4,452,000

Apr 2014

2,461,000 1,680,000 377,000 4,518,000

May 2014

2,517,000 1,651,000 397,000 4,565,000

Jun 2014

2,476,000 1,695,000 382,000 4,552,000

Jul 2014

2,580,000 1,829,000 375,000 4,784,000

Aug 2014

2,538,000 1,677,000 411,000 4,627,000

Sep 2014

2,798,000 1,682,000 402,000 4,882,000

Oct 2014

2,774,000 1,775,000 379,000 4,927,000

Nov 2014

2,633,000 1,675,000 324,000 4,633,000

Dec 2014

2,634,000 1,720,000 435,000 4,789,000

Jan 2015

2,759,000 1,725,000 358,000 4,843,000

Feb 2015

2,682,000 1,669,000 354,000 4,705,000

Mar 2015

2,736,000 1,889,000 361,000 4,986,000

Apr 2015

2,718,000 1,797,000 391,000 4,906,000

May 2015

2,750,000 1,667,000 395,000 4,812,000

Jun 2015

2,789,000 1,794,000 428,000 5,011,000

Jul 2015

2,777,000 1,673,000 399,000 4,849,000

Aug 2015

2,865,000 1,687,000 407,000 4,958,000

Sep 2015

2,794,000 1,899,000 374,000 5,067,000

Oct 2015

2,835,000 1,751,000 397,000 4,983,000

Nov 2015

2,923,000 1,689,000 391,000 5,003,000

Dec 2015

3,122,000 1,732,000 369,000 5,223,000

Jan 2016

2,894,000 1,724,000 415,000 5,033,000

Feb 2016

2,984,000 1,834,000 365,000 5,183,000

Mar 2016

2,932,000 1,726,000 382,000 5,040,000

Apr 2016

2,902,000 1,669,000 390,000 4,962,000

May 2016

3,005,000 1,741,000 355,000 5,101,000

Jun 2016

2,980,000 1,609,000 351,000 4,940,000

Jul 2016

3,031,000 1,609,000 362,000 5,001,000

Aug 2016

3,048,000 1,660,000 350,000 5,059,000

Sep 2016

3,076,000 1,516,000 351,000 4,942,000

Oct 2016

3,078,000 1,593,000 370,000 5,041,000

Nov 2016

3,080,000 1,660,000 334,000 5,075,000

Dec 2016

3,085,000 1,624,000 375,000 5,084,000

Jan 2017

3,186,000 1,659,000 402,000 5,247,000

Feb 2017

3,036,000 1,594,000 378,000 5,008,000

Mar 2017

3,138,000 1,661,000 399,000 5,198,000

Apr 2017

3,044,000 1,605,000 359,000 5,008,000

May 2017

3,206,000 1,673,000 365,000 5,245,000

Jun 2017

3,130,000 1,806,000 373,000 5,309,000

Jul 2017

3,194,000 1,789,000 379,000 5,362,000

Aug 2017

3,093,000 1,781,000 398,000 5,273,000

Sep 2017

3,180,000 1,746,000 318,000 5,244,000

Oct 2017

3,187,000 1,693,000 372,000 5,251,000

Nov 2017

3,174,000 1,686,000 341,000 5,202,000

The number of total separations, which is the sum of quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations, was 5.2 million in November.

The number of quits, which can serve as a measure of workers' willingness or ability to leave jobs, was little changed from the previous month for total private industry. Quits increased in November 2017 in transportation, warehousing, and utilities and state and local government, excluding education. Quits decreased in other services, real estate and rental and leasing, and mining and logging.

The number layoffs and discharges was also little changed from October. The number of layoffs and discharges was little changed for total private, for government, and in all industries.

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 2017" (HTML) (PDF). Also see charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and separations.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 3.2 million quits in November 2017 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2018/3-point-2-million-quits-in-november-2017.htm (visited March 28, 2024).

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