Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on Chamber of Commerce.
As workers continue to leave their jobs en masse, the phenomenon known as the “Great Resignation” seems to be far from over.
According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, resignations totaled 4.2 million in January, down slightly a record high in November 2021. The quit rate — defined as the number of quits as a percentage of total employment — rose to 3.0% in November, tying September’s record.
Historically, job openings, hires, and separations have tracked each other. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted this pattern.
At the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, total separations rose to a record 16.3 million as businesses across the country laid-off workers and shut down. Separations were also high in April 2020 but then returned to more typical levels and have been trending upwards ever since. At the same time, job openings have been climbing rapidly, reaching near-record levels in October 2021 amidst widespread labor shortages.
To determine the states with the highest quit rates, researchers at ChamberOfCommerce.org analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The researchers ranked states according to the average monthly quit rate in 2021. Researchers also calculated the total quits in 2021, the percentage point change in the quit rate from 2020 to 2021, and quits as a percentage of total separations in 2021.
Here are the states with the highest quit rates.
15. Michigan
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.0%
- Total quits (2021): 1,250,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.7
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 67.9%
14. Indiana
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.0%
- Total quits (2021): 928,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.7
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 70.8%
13. Louisiana
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.1%
- Total quits (2021): 569,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.6
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 69.2%
12. Idaho
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.1%
- Total quits (2021): 244,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.7
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 68.7%
11. Montana
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.1%
- Total quits (2021): 151,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.7
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 64.5%
10. West Virginia
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.1%
- Total quits (2021): 215,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.6
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 66.4%
9. South Carolina
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.1%
- Total quits (2021): 667,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.5
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 70.9%
8. Wyoming
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.2%
- Total quits (2021): 86,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.6
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 61.9%
7. North Carolina
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.2%
- Total quits (2021): 1,418,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.9
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 66.9%
6. Mississippi
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.2%
- Total quits (2021): 366,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.8
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 68.0%
5. Hawaii
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.4%
- Total quits (2021): 191,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.8
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 65.4%
4. Kentucky
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.4%
- Total quits (2021): 636,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.8
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 69.1%
3. Georgia
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.5%
- Total quits (2021): 1,598,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +1.0
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 69.2%
2. Nevada
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.8%
- Total quits (2021): 500,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +1.0
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 65.6%
1. Alaska
- Overall quit rate (2021): 3.8%
- Total quits (2021): 115,000
- Percentage point change in quit rate (2020–2021): +0.9
- Quits as a percentage of total separations (2021): 63.9%
Methodology
To determine the states with the highest quit rates, researchers at ChamberOfCommerce.org analyzed the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey.
The researchers ranked states according to the average monthly quit rate from January to October 2021, the latest data available.
In the event of a tie, the state with the higher total number of quits from January to October 2021 was ranked higher. Researchers also calculated the percentage point change in the average monthly quit rate from 2020 to 2021 (comparing January to October 2020 to the same months in 2021) and quits as a percentage of total separations in 2021.
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