The number of people leaving their jobs in December slowed to 4.3 million after a November high of 4.5 million, according to recently released BLS data. This is a 161,000 decrease from November. The quits rate remained fairly steady at 2.9%, a slight decrease from November’s 3.0%.
There were 10.9 million open jobs in December, an increase of 150,000 from the previous month.
Where job openings increased
- Accommodation and food services (+133,000)
- Information (+40,000)
- Transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+34,000)
- Health care and social assistance (+33,000)
- State and local education (+31,000)
Where job openings decreased
- Finance and insurance (-89,000)
- Wholesale trade (-48,000)
- Durable goods manufacturing (-28,000)
- Construction (-21,000)
- State and local government, excluding education (-20,000)
Net employment increased over 2021 — there were 75.3 million hires and 68.9 million separations (which include quits, layoffs, discharges, and other separations), reflecting a total net employment gain of 6.4 million.
