More Americans voluntarily left their jobs in September as employers recorded 7.5 million openings, according to federal labor data released Tuesday.
Quits climbed by 321,000 to 3.365 million, about 10.5% above the revised August total, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in its Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS). The September total also exceeded the year-earlier figure by 375,000.
Job openings rose by 333,000 from August to 7.523 million. Despite that numerical increase, BLS characterized both openings and their 4.5% rate as little changed. Employers made about 5.4 million hires, another measure the agency described as little changed.
Hospitality drives increase in quits
Accommodation and food services recorded 197,000 more quits than in August, while quits in arts, entertainment and recreation declined by 19,000. Hiring in accommodation and food services increased by 158,000.
The national quits rate stood at 2.1%, compared with 1.9% in August. BLS described the rate as little changed even as the number of quits increased.
Workers generally initiate quits voluntarily, making the quits rate a measure of their willingness or ability to leave a job, according to the agency. Layoffs and discharges reflect employer-initiated departures.
Employers recorded about 1.6 million layoffs and discharges, with a rate of 1%, both little changed. Health care and social assistance recorded 70,000 fewer layoffs and discharges.
Openings differ from hiring
State and local governments, excluding education, recorded 104,000 more job openings. Total separations, which include quits, layoffs, discharges and other departures, totaled about 5.3 million nationwide, little changed from August.
The survey counts openings on the last business day of the month, while hires and separations cover the entire month. Its openings total therefore, does not represent jobs employers filled during September.
BLS also revised August openings upward by 111,000 to about 7.2 million and hires upward by 79,000 to about 5.3 million. Additional employer reports and recalculated seasonal factors drive monthly revisions, the agency said.
The agency plans to release October JOLTS figures on December 1 at 9 a.m. Central Time.
