US Job Quits Hit 6-Month High

The number of job quits in the US rose slightly to 3.204 million in December 2025 from the upwardly revised 3.193 million in November and above 3.095 million a year ago. It was the highest reading in six months. Quits rose primarily in retail trade (+87,000) and information (+28,000), but fell in professional and business services (-151,000) and private educational services (-19,000). The quits rate, a metric that measures voluntary job leavers as a proportion of total employment, stood at 2% in December, matching November's reading. Regionally, job quits increased in the Midwest (+59,000) and the West (+13,000), but declined in the South (-50,000) and the Northeast (-11,000).

The number of job quits in the US rose by 188,000 to 3.161 million in November 2025, from the upwardly revised 2.973 million in October and above 3.032 million a year ago. It was the highest reading since July last year. The number of quits increased primarily in accommodation and food services (+208,000) and construction (+39,000), but declined in professional and business services (-75,000), government (-12,000), wholesale trade (-23,000) and information (-7,000). The quits rate, a metric that measures voluntary job leavers as a proportion of total employment, ticked up to 2% in November from the upwardly revised 1.9% in the previous month. Regionally, job quits increased in the South (+174,000), the Midwest (+14,000) and the West (+6,000). In contrast, the Northeast recorded a modest decrease (-7,000).

The number of job quits in the US fell by 187,000 to 2.941 million in October 2025, from 3.128 million in September and below 3.217 million a year ago. It was the lowest level since August 2020, with the number of quits decreasing in accommodation and food services (-136,000), health care and social assistance (-114,000), and federal government (-25,000). Quits in federal government in September saw a series high of 46,000. Conversely, quits increased in arts, entertainment, and recreation (+38,000) and in information (+21,000). The quits rate, a metric that measures voluntary job leavers as a proportion of total employment, ticked down to 1.8% in October from 2% in the previous month. While the South recorded 218,000 fewer job quits, the Northeast experienced an increase of 28,000. The September and October data were released together for the first time due to the 43-day government shutdown, which stretched from October into November and postponed the regular publication schedule.