- The SSR research team’s latest study has revealed which states in America have the highest job resignation rates, with Alaska taking the top spot
- Montana ranks second, and Louisiana is joint third with West Virginia
- The study ranked each state based on the average job resignation rate (quits rate)
New data has revealed which U.S. states have the highest average job resignation rates.
Research Methodology
The ranking, collated by the SSR research team, shows the average resignation rate for each state, which is the number of quits per month as a percentage of employment. The study also looks at the average number of resignations per month.
All the data has been gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using the latest four months’ figures (July 2023 to October 2023).
An average of the quits rate* for nonfarm jobs for the months from July 2023 through to October 2023 was calculated for each state, and the same was done for the quits level** for each state.
The states were then ranked from highest to lowest job quits rate.
* The quits rate is the number of quits during the entire month as a percent of employment.
** The quits level is the number of quits during the entire month.
The U.S. States Where Resignations Are Most Prevalent
Alaska takes the top spot for the state with the highest job resignation rate, with a quits rate of 3.55. This places the state’s score at 1.5 times the national average resignation rate of 2.30. Using the latest figures from July 2023 to October 2023, the study found that an average of 11,500 Alaskans quit their jobs each month during the four-month period.
In second place is Montana, with the second-highest resignation rate of 3.30. The study found that, on average, 17,000 workers from The Treasure State left their occupations each month.
Narrowly following behind are Louisiana and West Virginia, ranking joint third. Both states’ resignation rates are 3.28, just under 1.5 times the national average. Each month in the Pelican State, an average of 64,000 people quit their jobs. The Mountain State, which has a smaller worker population, saw a monthly average of 23,000 workers resigning from their employment.
The state in fourth position is Wyoming. The Equality State has an average resignation rate of 3.25. This puts the state at 1.4 times above the national average resignation rate, with 9,500 Wyoming citizens quitting their jobs every month.
Fifth place goes to Delaware, with an average rate of 3.20. From The First State, 15,500 workers have been leaving their jobs every month.
Mississippi has the sixth-highest job resignation rate at 3.15, with 36,500 leaving their jobs on average each month. South Carolina has the seventh-highest rate at 3.10, with a monthly average of 71,500 resigning from their posts.
In joint eighth, with an average rate of 3.00, are Tennessee and Idaho. The Volunteer State and The Gem State had 99,500 and 25,750 individuals quitting their positions, respectively, each month.
Kentucky takes the penultimate spot, in ninth place, with an average rate of 2.88. It means that, on average, 58,250 people left their jobs in The Bluegrass State between July and October 2023.
Rounding off the rankings in tenth place is Arizona, with an average rating of 2.85. The Grand Canyon State saw 90,250 workers leave their occupations each month.
Highest Ranked U.S. States for Employee Retention
Looking at the states with the lowest quits rates, we find Massachusetts crowned as the retention champion. A mere 1.38% of workers resigned per month during the four-month period.
The state of New York is a close second with a quits rate of 1.45, followed by California, scoring 1.68.
Connecticut came in at fourth place with a quits rate of 1.73, followed by Pennsylvania tied with New Jersey.
While 33 states have higher resignation rates than the national average, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that quit rates have decreased considerably since the shockingly high rates of 2020 and 2021.
This could be due to fewer job openings and lower hiring rates — employees are aware that the job market has become more competitive, and they might not be able to find another position if they were to resign.
These numbers could also indicate that the workplace is shifting in its attitude towards work-life balance by putting more of an emphasis on the well-being of staff. It could be that employees are less burnt out and value their employment more. Whatever the reasons, it is reassuring to see that resignation rates are generally lowering.
