The Great Resignation rages on as a record 4.5 million Americans quit
By Megan Leonhardt, Fortune
The number of American workers quitting their jobs hit record highs in November, with 4.5 million people walking off the job, according to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics report released Tuesday.
The rate among those who voluntarily quit was about 3% of workers in November, a high last seen in September 2021, which was itself a new record. An extra 1.4 million people were either laid off from their jobs or fired, and an additional 377,000 experienced some other form of separation from their jobs in November.
The latest numbers reveal that the so-called Great Resignation shows no signs of slowing down, although it isn’t affecting all job sectors equally.
“Workers being able to quit their jobs to take better jobs is a very good thing and signals an economy with healthy dynamism,” said Economic Policy Institute president Heidi Shierholz. “The dynamic we are seeing of a high quits rate combined with strong job growth is absolutely something to celebrate.”