The number of workers who quit their jobs in September rose to a record high for the third month in a row, making it harder for companies to maintain staff levels during the worst labor shortage in decades.
Some 4.4 million people quit their jobs in September, the government said Friday. By contrast, just half as many had quit during the early stages of the pandemic.
Put another way, 3 percent of the labor force quit in September. That’s also the highest level since the government began keeping track in 2000.
Before the pandemic the so-called quit rate was fairly steady at about 2.3 percent.
People usually quit when the economy is doing well or they think they can find a better job. They tend to stay put when the economy is bad.
The vast majority of people quitting are finding other jobs. Companies hired 6.5 million people in September, the Bureau of Labor Statistics said.
Several million people have retired during the pandemic, for one thing. And the latest flare up of the coronavirus via the delta variant caused more people to quit and leave the jobs market either temporarily or permanently.
In September and August, for instance, the number of people working in leisure and hospitality who quit topped 1 million for two months in a row for the first time ever. These jobs at restaurants, hotels, theaters and so forth put workers directly in contact with customers and make them more susceptible to catching the virus.
Click here to read the full report from Jeffry Bartash at Marketwatch.com.
