Economy

The State Where People Are Leaving Their Jobs

krblokhin / iStock via Getty Images

For several months, the two most prominent news headlines about jobs were the decline in unemployment and how hard it has been for companies to find workers at reasonable compensation rates. People could quit their jobs and find better ones elsewhere. People resigned at the highest pace in Georgia, and states in the South had the fastest pace in general.
[in-text-ad]
The unemployment rate has changed radically over the past three years. From 2019 through early 2020, the jobless rate was under 4%. By February 2020, it had dropped near a historic low of 3.5%. The COVID-19 pandemic made the rate soar to 14.7% in April, the highest rate since the Great Depression. It took until recently to regain the 20.5 million jobs lost because of the virus.

Unemployment rates have been very different from state to state, as has always been the case. In August, the national jobless rate was 3.7%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. It was below 3% in Florida (2.7%), Georgia (2.8%) and Alabama (2.6%).


WalletHub reviewed resignation rates in August. Its States With the Highest Job Resignation Rates report pointed out that “As the economy has started to recover from the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a surge in job openings, with some employers having a difficult time filling all their open positions.”


The resignation rate in Georgia in August was 4.8%. Kentucky followed with 4.4% and Tennessee at 4.3%. There is no explanation for the cluster. Neither is there one for the states where the rates were lowest: New York (1.9%), District of Columbia (2.3%) and New Jersey and Pennsylvania (2.6% each).

A look at the past 12 months based on the same measurements shows that these states were near the top and the bottom of the resignation list.

Want to Retire Early? Start Here (Sponsor)

Want retirement to come a few years earlier than you’d planned? Or are you ready to retire now, but want an extra set of eyes on your finances?

Now you can speak with up to 3 financial experts in your area for FREE. By simply clicking here you can begin to match with financial professionals who can help you build your plan to retire early. And the best part? The first conversation with them is free.

Click here to match with up to 3 financial pros who would be excited to help you make financial decisions.

Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.