“Great Resignation” Continues as 4 Million Workers Quit in February 2023

Written By Digital Content Editor Thomas Ahearn

The “Great Resignation” where record numbers of U.S. workers voluntarily resign from their jobs continued as over 4 million workers quit in February 2023 – after dropping below 4 million quits in January 2023 – according to the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) released by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The “Great Resignation” has lasted more than a year as the number of “Quits” by workers has topped 4 million per month in December 2022, November 2022, October 2022, September 2022, August 2022, July 2022, June 2022, May 2022, April 2022, March 2022, February 2022, January 2022, December 2021, and November 2021.

The JOLTS defines “Quits” as voluntary separations initiated by the employee during a month, while the “Quits Rate” is the number of quits during a month as a percent of total employment and can serve as a measure of the willingness or ability of workers to leave their jobs. The “Quits Rate” was 2.6 percent in February 2023.

Quits increased by 115,000 in professional and business services, by 93,000 in accommodation and food services, by 31,000 in wholesale trade, and by 18,000 in educational services. Quits decreased by 39,000 in finance and insurance. The JOLTS for March 2023 will be released at this link on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.

“As record-breaking resignation numbers continue to rise in the United States, employers are wondering why their employees are so quick to quit their jobs and how to keep them from leaving,” ClearStar, a leading Human Resources (HR) technology company, noted in a blog titled “The Great Resignation of 2021.”

“Listening to employees and their desires for their careers is the first step to developing lasting relationships with them. The resignations could be a result of the effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, low pay, and benefits, new job opportunities, or a mix of all of the above,” ClearStar suggested in the blog.

“An employer who accommodates their employees with remote work (if needed) and shows interest in trying to help them find something they enjoy doing in their job is likely to build a relationship with their employees that they are not so quick to abandon,” ClearStar concluded. The complete blog is available here.

Employment Screening Resources (ESR) is a service offering of ClearStar, a leading Human Resources technology company that specializes in background checks, drug testing, and occupational health screening. ClearStar helps employers replace workers lost during the “Great Resignation.” To learn more, contact ClearStar.

Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – a service offering of ClearStar – does not provide or offer legal services or legal advice of any kind or nature. Any information on this website is for educational purposes only.

© 2023 Employment Screening Resources (ESR) – A Service Offering of ClearStar – Making copies of or using any part of the ESR News Blog or ESR website for any purpose other than your own personal use is prohibited unless written authorization is first obtained from ESR.

Share on Social Media