A record 4.5 million Americans voluntarily left their jobs in November, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics cited in a report by CNN Business.
This pushed the quits rate to 3%, matching the high from September.
Workers were most likely to quit their jobs in the hospitality industry, which had by far the highest quits rate at 6.1% in November, as well as those in health care. The numbers in transportation, warehousing and utilities also increased.
“Workers continued to quit their jobs at a historic rate. The low-wage sectors directly impacted by the pandemic continued to be the source of much of the elevated quitting,” said Nick Bunker, director of research at the Indeed Hiring Lab, in emailed comments.
The big question for 2022 is whether this dynamic will persist.
The high quits rate is a symptom of the tight labor market where workers can quickly find a new — and potentially better — job.
