Data through: July 2026 · updated Sep 2 · Updates: Monthly (5-6 week lag)
MThe three bars show the last 3 months (end-of-month values) for this indicator, oldest left to newest right. Bar height reflects each reading relative to the other two — the tallest is the highest of the three, the shortest the lowest.
Historical context: Currently in the 28th percentile of all historical readings.
What this means right now: The quit rate is moderate — workers are somewhat cautious, leaving jobs at a reduced pace. Labor market conditions are balanced with workers having some but not extensive confidence in alternatives.
JOLTS Quit Rate · Monthly · 2000–2026
Grey areas = NBER recessions · Scroll to read · zoom and pan in Expand
Monthly values
JOLTS Quit Rate — the last 12 months
Every month's reading, with the band the heatmap gives it. The chart above shows the same series in full.
Month
Value
Band
Jul 2026
1.9%
Within normal range
Jun 2026
2.0%
Healthy reading
May 2026
2.0%
Healthy reading
Apr 2026
1.9%
Within normal range
Mar 2026
2.0%
Healthy reading
Feb 2026
1.9%
Within normal range
Month-end readings of the same series the chart shows, from jolts_quits. Values are the current record, not point-in-time: a month that has since been revised shows its revised value.
What is the Quit Rate?
The quit rate measures the percentage of total employed workers who voluntarily left their jobs in a given month. It is often called the "Great Resignation indicator" — when workers quit voluntarily, they do so because they are confident about finding a better job. The quit rate is therefore a powerful measure of worker confidence and labor market health from the employee's perspective.
High quit rates signal a tight labor market: workers feel empowered to leave unsatisfying jobs, negotiate better pay elsewhere, or change careers entirely. Low quit rates signal worker caution: people stay in jobs they might otherwise leave because alternative opportunities are scarce or uncertain. The post-COVID "Great Resignation" saw quit rates reach all-time highs as workers — empowered by labor shortages and flush with savings — quit in record numbers to seek better opportunities.
How We Color-Code the Quit Rate
Our heatmap colors each indicator based on historically significant thresholds:
Above 2.8%
Very high quits — workers extremely confident, tight labor market
2.2% – 2.8%
Healthy quits — workers confident, good labor market conditions
Very low — workers fearful, recession-level labor market weakness
Historical Extremes — What Happened Next?
When this indicator reaches extreme levels, history shows consistent patterns:
Nov 2021Great Resignation Peak
3.0%
The highest quit rate ever recorded — 4.5 million workers quit in a single month as labor shortages gave workers unprecedented leverage. Drove record wage growth.
Apr 2009Financial Crisis Bottom
1.3%
Workers were too afraid to quit — the lowest quit rate in the survey's history reflected maximum job insecurity during the financial crisis.
2019Pre-COVID Equilibrium
Quit rate: 2.3%
A healthy pre-COVID quit rate reflecting a tight but sustainable labor market — workers confident but not euphorically so.
Investor Checklist — Current Reading
Based on the current Quit Rate reading of 1.9% (Neutral):
ℹDeclining quit rate from high levels — labor market normalizing, watch for trend
✓Monitor monthly — continued decline signals growing worker caution
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the quit rate considered a measure of economic health?
Workers only quit voluntarily when they are confident about their alternatives. The decision to quit requires believing that another job is available, that income can be maintained during a job search, and that future prospects are good. This voluntary optimism makes the quit rate a genuine measure of worker confidence — more reliable than surveys because it reflects actual behavior with real financial consequences.
What was the "Great Resignation" and why did it happen?
The Great Resignation was the 2021-2022 period when quit rates reached all-time highs as workers left jobs in record numbers. Multiple factors converged: unprecedented labor shortages gave workers enormous leverage; COVID stimulus provided financial cushion during transitions; remote work opened geographic options; and many workers used the pandemic as a catalyst to reassess career satisfaction. The quit rate reached 3.0% in November 2021 — 4.5 million workers quitting in a single month.
Does a declining quit rate mean workers are more satisfied?
Not necessarily — declining quit rates usually reflect growing caution rather than growing satisfaction. When unemployment is rising and job alternatives become scarcer, workers stay in unsatisfying jobs out of necessity. The relationship between quit rates and satisfaction is complex; economists typically interpret declining quits as a sign of labor market loosening rather than improving workplace conditions.
Which industries have the highest and lowest quit rates?
Leisure and hospitality (restaurants, hotels) consistently have the highest quit rates — workers in these industries frequently move between jobs for marginal pay improvements or scheduling preferences. Government and utilities have the lowest quit rates — these sectors offer strong benefits, pensions, and job security that discourage voluntary departure. Manufacturing and professional services sit in the middle.
Why is the quits rate considered a measure of worker confidence rather than job dissatisfaction?
Workers quit voluntarily when they are confident they can find a better job quickly — either because they already have an offer or because the labor market is tight enough that they expect one soon. A high quits rate therefore signals worker bargaining power and a healthy demand for labor. When the quits rate falls sharply, it means workers feel less secure and are staying put out of caution — a leading indicator that the labor market is softening and wage growth is likely to slow.
Trending Questions
AI context · refreshed August 30, 2026
What investors are searching about this indicator right now, answered using current news and data.
1What does the current 2.0 JOLTS quits rate tell us about worker confidence?
ZipRecruiter's Job Seeker Confidence Index fell 6.3 points in the third quarter of 2026 to 93.5, based on a survey of more than 1,500 job seekers between July 25 and August 12, with every component of the index moving downward including a 10.7-point drop in expectations. The quits rate is a proxy for worker confidence because employees generally leave when they believe they have good prospects of finding a better job or have already found new work.
2How low is the 2.0 quits rate compared to history?
At 2.0 percent, the JOLTS quits rate is 33 percent below the 2022 peak, indicating that workers have stopped leaving because there's nowhere better to go. This sits in the same range as the early-2015 lows, whereas at the Great Resignation peak in November 2021, 3.0 percent of workers were quitting monthly.
3Why are workers less likely to quit even though some labor market data looks stable?
About 43 percent of U.S. employees reported a positive six-month outlook for their employer's business in July according to Glassdoor's Employee Confidence Index — the lowest on record in data going back to 2016 — even though by many measures the labor market is showing signs of improvement and American workers are less confident than ever in the companies that employ them.
4What share of current job seekers are voluntarily leaving their jobs?
In August 2026, 51 percent of current job seekers are unemployed, up from 41 percent in the first quarter, with only 38 percent of the previously employed group quitting by choice, down from 43 percent.
5What does a 2.0 quits rate mean for wage pressure in the labor market?
The quits rate is the most reliable single signal of wage-inflation persistence, with workers who change jobs receiving average pay increases of 8-15 percent compared with 3-5 percent for workers who stay, and when quits are elevated the labor market sees high turnover and substantial annual wage increases. A 2.0 rate suggests limited wage pressure from worker mobility.