The national job quits rate for a four-month period in 2023 reached the lowest it has been since August 2020, with the greatest rate in Alaska and the least in Massachusetts. That’s according to data gathered from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, using data from July to October and analyzed by human resources technology company SelectSoftware Reviews.
The national average quits rate during the time period studied was 2.3%. Alaska exceeded that rate by 1.5 times, at 3.55%. The study found that an average of 11,500 Alaska residents quit their jobs each month during the four-month period.
Alaska was followed by Montana, which had the second-highest resignation rate of 3.3%, and then Louisiana and West Virginia, which were tied for third place, with resignation rates 3.28%. Wyoming (3.25%) and Delaware (3.2%) rounded out the top five states.
At the bottom end, the states with the lowest percentage of quits during the fourth-month period were Pennsylvania (1.93%), Connecticut (1.73%), California (1.68%), New York (1.45%) and Massachusetts (1.3%).
Job openings decrease
In a separate report, experts at Wealth of Geeks analyzed BLS data showing the available job openings in each state from October 2022 to October 2023 to calculate the percentage difference to rank each state. The highest percentages weren’t limited to one particular region either.
The study found that Wisconsin had the largest number of openings during the one-year period. The Badger State had 87,000 fewer openings year over year, for a 33.59% decrease.
The job market slowed in California as well, with 394,000 fewer job openings in October 2023 compared with October 2022, for a 32.81% decrease.
Iowa ranked third on the list, with 34,000, or 28.81%, fewer job openings year over year.
New Hampshire came in fourth, with 6,000 fewer jobs in October 2023 compared with October 2022, a 28.07% drop.
Rounding out the list of five states with the largest decreases in job openings was Arizona. The Copper State recorded 59,000 fewer openings year over year, marking a decrease of 24.38%.
