Americans are quitting their jobs at highest rate since 2000

Share of US workers leaving their jobs hit 2.7% in April

A teacher speaks with students as they return to in-person learning at St. Anthony Catholic High School during the Covid-19 pandemic on March 24, 2021 in Long Beach, California. A record-breaking level of US workers are leaving their jobs for new roles. (AFP via Getty Images)

The US has seen the highest number of people quitting their jobs since the year 2000, Labor Department figures show.

The share of US workers leaving their jobs was 2.7 per cent in April, marking a jump from 1.6 per cent a year earlier and reaching the highest level since at least 2000, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The flood of resignations comes as the US begins to emerge from what has so far been the worst of the coronavirus pandemic.

In earlier months of the pandemic, much of the concern was around maintaining job security in the midst of layoffs and economic uncertainty.

Now, however, the data suggest that a large share of US workers have been able to move on to other employment opportunities – a trend that could push employers to raise wages and offer promotions to avoid losing talented workers.

Still, it is unclear whether all workers who have quit their jobs have gone on to secure better roles, with burnout during the pandemic also being a concern in the midst of the crisis.

A study conducted in March had suggested that many US workers would be looking to leave their jobs once the threat of the pandemic had subsided.

In the Prudential Financial’s Pulse of the American Worker survey, data collected by Morning Consult in March 2021 showed that 1 in 4 workers were planning to seek out opportunities with a new employer once the coronavirus crisis calmed.

The survey, which saw 2,000 employed adults polled, found that of the 26 per cent of workers planning to part ways with their employers, 80 per cent wanted to do so because they were worried about their ability to advance in their careers with their current companies.

Meanwhile, 72 per cent said the pandemic itself had prompted them to reconsider their skillsets, with more than half of those planning to change jobs having sought out to develop new skills and receive new training during the crisis.