Quit Rate in US – At highest rate since 2009 downturn

In the darkest days of the last recession, few among those who had jobs were able, willing or bold enough to quit them.

That is changing, however, according to a statistic called the national “quit rate,” which some might call the “Take this job and shove it” index. The figure shows that the percentage of Americans who are jumping ship voluntarily is hovering at its highest levels in the four-year recovery.

Many see the shift as a sign of optimism for an economy that has sputtered its way through an on-again, off-again rebound from the demoralizing downturn of 2008-09.

“The quit rate is a useful measure of how much confidence workers feel and how many opportunities they have to switch to a more attractive job,” said Steven Davis, a professor who specializes in labor economics and worker mobility at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Chosen excerpts by Job Market Monitor. Read the whole story at People voluntarily leaving jobs at highest rate since 2009 downturn.