These States Have the Highest Job Quit Rates

There are roughly two jobs for every job seeker in the U.S.

September 19, 2022

ALEXANDRIA, Va.—The Great Resignation is still in full force, with roughly two jobs available for every job seeker, and workers continued to quit their jobs at an elevated rate in July, reports the Washington Post, plus other forms of quitting, such as “quiet quitting” are entering the labor market. Millions of Americans are leaving their jobs each month, and workers have a lot of leverage when changing jobs, amid the labor shortage.

Of course, the rate at which people quit their jobs isn’t the same across the whole country. WalletHub looked at the data to rank the 50 states and the District of Columbia based on how frequently people are leaving their places of employment.

The top five states that have the highest job resignation rates are: 

Rank State Resignation Rate (Latest Month) Resignation Rate (Last 12 Months)
1 Georgia 4.80% 3.98%
2 Kentucky 4.40% 3.80%
3 Tennessee 4.30% 3.40%
4 Arizona 4.10% 3.51%
5 Wyoming 4.00% 3.64%

Here is the full list of states and their resignation rates.

WalletHub turned to experts in the labor field to shed some light on why people are quitting their jobs.

When asked will the decrease in labor be a long-term issue or if we will see a re-entering in the labor force of the prime-age workers in 2022, Barry Bluestone, a professor at Northeastern University said, “The emphasis on college completion as a road to employment rather than vocational/technical education which is needed to fill skilled jobs from carpenter, electrician and plumber to truck driver. We need to increase the opportunity for vocational education for both high school students and adults who wish to learn a new trade.”

When asked the same question, Jennifer Hunt, professor of economics, School of Arts and Sciences, Rutgers, said, “Unfortunately, I think that it will be irrelevant within a few months because we are surely entering a recession. The lower labor supply will not be noticeable with the big decline in labor demand that is approaching. So, we shall see again in a year and a half or so in the next upturn what labor supply looks like.”

WalletHub asked Colin Corbett, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Economics, Bradley University, “What will be, if any, the economic impact of this workforce-trend?” He responded, “A reduced labor force generally leads to reduced output capacity, which without a corresponding reduction in aggregate demand leads to inflation. It has the potential to shift bargaining power from capital to labor, but in an overheated economy, this effect is partially canceled out.”

NACS has partnered with The Good Jobs Institute on how c-store operators can provide “good jobs,” which meet people’s basic needs and offer conditions for engagement and motivation. The Good Jobs Calculator, designed exclusively for NACS members and the convenience industry, allows retailers to use their own data and customized assumptions about the amount of improvement or uplift achievable, so executives can run scenarios on the bottom-line impact of a Good Jobs system.

Additionally, in the NACS Magazine article “Understanding Your Local Labor Landscape,” NACS provides tips on building an effective employee value proposition.

Two education sessions at the 2022 NACS Show in Las Vegas explore timely HR issues: Make Your Employer Brand Stand Out and Winning the War for Talent. Both are set for the morning of October 3. Register now to attend the NACS Show, October 1-4 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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