America is becoming a nation of quitters — with a record 4.4 million workershanding in their resignations in September. But the trend isn't spread evenly across the country, with some states experiencing sharp increases in workers handing in their two-week notices.
Called "The Great Resignation," the trend reflects a complex mix of pandemic factors: Some women with children have been walloped by the dual demands of childcare and work and took a step back from the labor force, while some older workers took earlier-than-expected retirement.
And other workers are quitting because they are finding better-paying jobs as employers raise wages and dangle juicier benefits.
Some states experiencing a jump in their so-called quit rate are stymied not only by pandemic-related problems, but longer-term issues such as an aging workforce or a low workforce participation rate. Take Hawaii, where 7.1% of all workers quit in September — more than double the national rate of 3% and the highest quit rate in the country
Top 10 states by quit rate in September:
"One reason for optimism about the labor force re-entry of prime-age workers is that nearly all workers who left the labor force during the pandemic intend to re-enter in the next 12 months, suggesting that most prime-age exiters still view their exits as temporary," Goldman Sachs analysts noted in a research report earlier this month.
But, they added, workers have ongoing concerns about workplace safety given the ongoing pandemic. "It may take some time for some people to feel comfortable returning to work," they noted. That's an issue that bears watching amid the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Americans are quitting their jobs at record rates — here are the 10 states leading the trend
Called "The Great Resignation," the trend reflects a complex mix of pandemic factors: Some women with children have been walloped by the dual demands of childcare and work and took a step back from the labor force, while some older workers took earlier-than-expected retirement.
And other workers are quitting because they are finding better-paying jobs as employers raise wages and dangle juicier benefits.
Some states experiencing a jump in their so-called quit rate are stymied not only by pandemic-related problems, but longer-term issues such as an aging workforce or a low workforce participation rate. Take Hawaii, where 7.1% of all workers quit in September — more than double the national rate of 3% and the highest quit rate in the country
Top 10 states by quit rate in September:
- Hawaii: 7.1%
- Montana: 4.8%
- Nevada: 4.5%
- Alaska: 4.3%
- Colorado: 4.3%
- Indiana: 4.3%
- Idaho: 4.1%
- Oregon: 3.9%
- Louisiana: 3.8%
- New Hampshire: 3.8%
"One reason for optimism about the labor force re-entry of prime-age workers is that nearly all workers who left the labor force during the pandemic intend to re-enter in the next 12 months, suggesting that most prime-age exiters still view their exits as temporary," Goldman Sachs analysts noted in a research report earlier this month.
But, they added, workers have ongoing concerns about workplace safety given the ongoing pandemic. "It may take some time for some people to feel comfortable returning to work," they noted. That's an issue that bears watching amid the emergence of the new Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
Americans are quitting their jobs at record rates — here are the 10 states leading the trend