Americans have been quitting their jobs in record numbers in recent months – a trend that shows few signs of slowing. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 4.4 million Americans quit their job in April 2022, closely in line with the number reported in March and just shy of the all time high of 4.5 million in November 2021.
A recent survey published by the Pew Research Center found that low pay and limited room for advancement were the most common reasons Americans are leaving their jobs.
While many states reported either no change in quits or a month over month decline, in much of the country, quits are on the rise.
Using data from the BLS, 24/7 Wall St. identified the states where quits are rising fastest. States are ranked by the change in number of people who quit in April 2022, the most recent month of available data, compared to the number of quits in March 2022.
It is important to note that even in states where quits fell in April, quit rates – the number of quits as a share of the total labor force – remained historically high. In most states, the number of people who quit their job in April is higher than the number who quit in April 2021.
Though there are exceptions, states with higher quit rates tend to have unemployment rates below the national average of 3.6%. Since quits do not include workers who retire, each of the 4.4 million Americans who quit in April presumably plans to take another job. A stronger job market, therefore, may incentivize workers to look for better opportunities, while workers in states with weaker job markers may be deterred. (Here is a look at the states where unemployment is at an all time low.)
Click here to see the states where quits are on the rise
Click here to read our detailed methodology
50. Utah
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -25.8% (17,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 49,000 (2.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 1.9%
> Labor force size: 1,714,407 people
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49. Arizona
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -23.8% (31,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 99,000 (3.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.2%
> Labor force size: 3,556,902 people
48. Wyoming
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -23.1% (3,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 10,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.3%
> Labor force size: 290,691 people
47. Vermont
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -22.2% (2,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 7,000 (2.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.5%
> Labor force size: 332,746 people
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46. Pennsylvania
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -15.3% (20,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 111,000 (1.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.8%
> Labor force size: 6,409,766 people
45. Nevada
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -14.9% (7,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 40,000 (2.8% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 5.0%
> Labor force size: 1,508,783 people
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44. Florida
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -13.1% (50,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 333,000 (3.6% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.0%
> Labor force size: 10,542,655 people
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43. Hawaii
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -11.8% (2,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 15,000 (2.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.1%
> Labor force size: 673,630 people
42. Alaska
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -11.8% (2,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 15,000 (4.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.8%
> Labor force size: 361,817 people
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41. Washington
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -10.4% (11,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 95,000 (2.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.1%
> Labor force size: 4,023,291 people
40. Montana
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -10.0% (2,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 18,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.3%
> Labor force size: 560,660 people
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39. Texas
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -8.2% (36,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 403,000 (3.0% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.3%
> Labor force size: 14,459,425 people
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38. South Dakota
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -7.7% (1,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 12,000 (2.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.3%
> Labor force size: 473,832 people
37. Ohio
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -4.1% (6,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 139,000 (2.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.0%
> Labor force size: 5,773,484 people
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36. North Carolina
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -3.9% (6,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 148,000 (3.1% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.4%
> Labor force size: 5,056,492 people
35. Oregon
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -3.4% (2,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 56,000 (2.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.7%
> Labor force size: 2,193,742 people
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34. Colorado
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -3.0% (3,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 97,000 (3.4% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.6%
> Labor force size: 3,225,366 people
33. New Jersey
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: -2.7% (3,000 fewer quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 108,000 (2.6% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.1%
> Labor force size: 4,634,049 people
32. Minnesota
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 72,000 (2.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.2%
> Labor force size: 3,080,002 people
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31. South Carolina
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 86,000 (3.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.3%
> Labor force size: 2,391,819 people
30. Louisiana
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 63,000 (3.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.1%
> Labor force size: 2,100,393 people
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29. Idaho
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 29,000 (3.6% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.6%
> Labor force size: 937,017 people
28. West Virginia
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 23,000 (3.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.6%
> Labor force size: 794,631 people
27. Rhode Island
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 14,000 (2.8% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.2%
> Labor force size: 569,045 people
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26. Delaware
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: None
> Total quits in April 2022: 15,000 (3.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.5%
> Labor force size: 498,950 people
25. Wisconsin
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +1.3% (1,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 80,000 (2.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.8%
> Labor force size: 3,147,274 people
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24. California
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +2.0% (9,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 465,000 (2.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.6%
> Labor force size: 19,229,150 people
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23. Arkansas
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +2.3% (1,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 44,000 (3.4% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.2%
> Labor force size: 1,349,553 people
22. Illinois
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +3.0% (5,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 172,000 (2.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.6%
> Labor force size: 6,449,597 people
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21. Indiana
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +3.6% (4,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 114,000 (3.6% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.2%
> Labor force size: 3,347,991 people
20. New Mexico
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +4.0% (1,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 26,000 (3.1% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 5.3%
> Labor force size: 949,673 people
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19. Alabama
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +4.3% (3,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 72,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.8%
> Labor force size: 2,276,371 people
18. New York
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +5.5% (10,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 191,000 (2.0% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.5%
> Labor force size: 9,404,038 people
17. Maine
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +6.3% (1,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 17,000 (2.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.3%
> Labor force size: 678,788 people
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16. Mississippi
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +7.9% (3,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 41,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.1%
> Labor force size: 1,264,202 people
15. Virginia
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +8.6% (9,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 114,000 (2.8% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.0%
> Labor force size: 4,330,002 people
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14. Maryland
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +8.8% (6,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 74,000 (2.7% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.2%
> Labor force size: 3,196,817 people
13. Georgia
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +10.1% (17,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 185,000 (3.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.1%
> Labor force size: 5,267,587 people
12. Tennessee
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +10.8% (11,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 113,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.2%
> Labor force size: 3,388,428 people
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11. Oklahoma
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +11.3% (6,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 59,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.7%
> Labor force size: 1,868,236 people
10. Kentucky
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +11.4% (8,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 78,000 (4.0% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.9%
> Labor force size: 2,062,849 people
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9. Massachusetts
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +12.5% (9,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 81,000 (2.2% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.1%
> Labor force size: 3,775,535 people
8. Nebraska
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +13.3% (4,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 34,000 (3.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 1.9%
> Labor force size: 1,060,739 people
7. Kansas
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +13.9% (5,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 41,000 (2.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.4%
> Labor force size: 1,501,739 people
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6. Connecticut
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +14.7% (5,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 39,000 (2.4% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.4%
> Labor force size: 1,887,900 people
5. Michigan
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +16.4% (18,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 128,000 (3.0% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 4.3%
> Labor force size: 4,833,339 people
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4. Iowa
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +16.7% (7,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 49,000 (3.1% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.0%
> Labor force size: 1,697,705 people
3. New Hampshire
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +17.6% (3,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 20,000 (2.9% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.3%
> Labor force size: 759,932 people
2. North Dakota
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +27.3% (3,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 14,000 (3.3% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 2.8%
> Labor force size: 410,859 people
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1. Missouri
> Change in quits, March-April 2022: +45.7% (32,000 more quits)
> Total quits in April 2022: 102,000 (3.5% of workforce)
> April 2022 unemployment: 3.4%
> Labor force size: 3,091,654 people
Methodology
To determine the states where quits are on the rise, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. States are ranked by the percent change in the number of people who quit in April 2022 compared to the previous month. Quits are defined as voluntary departures from an employer and do not include those entering retirement. In the case of a tie, the state with a smaller labor force in April ranked higher.
Figures on unemployment and labor force size, which includes Americans either working or actively looking for work, are also from the BLS.
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