- Labor Department’s job openings and labor turnover report for August finds 6.8 percent quits rate in accommodation and food services, well above the national rate of 2.9 percent
- The sector also saw a significant decline in job postings and hires as well as an increase in separations
- Job openings fell to 10.4 million, but continued to outnumber the tally of unemployed in the United States
Summary by Dirk Langeveld
Labor Department data reflected uncertainty in the accommodation and food service sector in August, with these businesses showing fewer job postings and hires as well as more separations. The sector also had the highest quits rate among all industries, more than double the national rate.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ job openings and labor turnover report for the month found that job openings were down 659,000 to 10.4 million. Hires fell 439,000 to 6.3 million, while separations (including layoffs, discharges, quits, and departures for other reasons like retirement or transfer to another company location) remained steady at 6 million.
The number of job openings in the United States continued to outnumber the tally of unemployed in the nation. The September jobs report determined that 7.7 million people were out of work during that month.
- Job postings in accommodation and food services fell by 178,000, while hires in the sector had the steepest reduction with a drop of 240,000; the sector also had the greatest increase in separations at 203,000
- A total of 4.3 million people quit their job in August, up 242,000; this included 157,000 people who left the accommodation and food services sector
- The overall quits rate hit a record high of 2.9 percent, but stood at 6.8 percent in the accommodation and food services sector – up from 5.6 percent in July and 4.3 percent in August 2020
- Health care and social assistance jobs had the largest decrease in openings, which fell by 224,000
- State and local government education also saw significant disruption in August, posting 124,000 fewer openings, 160,000 fewer hires, and 57,000 more hires
