This archive report was first published on 4 January 2022.
Published on January 4, 2022, the Labor Department reported a record number of Americans quitting their jobs in November, even as employers found it slightly easier to fill their open positions.
With over 4.5 million people voluntarily leaving their jobs in November, the rate of quitting has been especially high in hospitality and other low-wage sectors, where workers have been taking advantage of strong demand to look for jobs with better pay or working conditions.
Despite a slight decrease in job openings, there were still 10.6 million positions available on the last day of November, down from 11.1 million in October but still more than in any month before the pandemic began.
“Employer demand is still extremely high, and the result of that is increased competition for workers,” said Daniel Zhao, senior economist at Glassdoor. “That means more job openings, higher wages and more churn in the labor market.”
Competition for workers has led to faster wage growth this year, particularly for those changing jobs. Hourly wages for job switchers were up 4.3 percent in November on average, compared to a 3.2 percent gain for people who stayed in their jobs.
