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Job separations increase by 324,000 to 5,760,000 in April 2021

June 15, 2021

The number of total separations, which is the sum of quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations, increased by 324,000 to 5,760,000 in April 2021. The number of quits, which are generally voluntary separations initiated by employees, was 3,952,000 in April 2021. This is the highest level since we started tracking quits in December 2000. In April 2021, there were 1,444,000 layoffs and discharges, which are involuntary separations initiated by employers. This is the lowest level since we started tracking layoffs and discharges in December 2000.

Total separations, quits, layoffs and discharges, and other separations
Month Total separations Quits Layoffs and discharges Other separations

Dec 2000

5,240,000 2,882,000 2,018,000 340,000

Jan 2001

5,842,000 3,245,000 2,220,000 377,000

Feb 2001

5,231,000 3,053,000 1,855,000 323,000

Mar 2001

5,566,000 3,054,000 2,133,000 379,000

Apr 2001

5,414,000 3,163,000 1,883,000 367,000

May 2001

5,390,000 2,993,000 2,029,000 368,000

Jun 2001

5,249,000 2,878,000 2,015,000 356,000

Jul 2001

5,380,000 2,947,000 2,038,000 394,000

Aug 2001

5,355,000 2,928,000 2,011,000 416,000

Sep 2001

5,184,000 2,703,000 2,107,000 374,000

Oct 2001

5,464,000 2,795,000 2,319,000 350,000

Nov 2001

5,150,000 2,560,000 2,255,000 335,000

Dec 2001

4,848,000 2,559,000 1,922,000 368,000

Jan 2002

5,117,000 2,845,000 1,907,000 365,000

Feb 2002

4,929,000 2,572,000 1,978,000 379,000

Mar 2002

4,756,000 2,493,000 1,883,000 380,000

Apr 2002

4,979,000 2,624,000 1,956,000 398,000

May 2002

4,834,000 2,537,000 1,967,000 330,000

Jun 2002

4,887,000 2,522,000 2,015,000 349,000

Jul 2002

5,054,000 2,561,000 2,102,000 390,000

Aug 2002

4,846,000 2,561,000 1,923,000 362,000

Sep 2002

4,919,000 2,521,000 2,022,000 376,000

Oct 2002

4,733,000 2,423,000 1,935,000 375,000

Nov 2002

4,750,000 2,403,000 1,944,000 402,000

Dec 2002

4,928,000 2,501,000 2,007,000 421,000

Jan 2003

4,953,000 2,429,000 2,109,000 415,000

Feb 2003

4,871,000 2,490,000 2,015,000 366,000

Mar 2003

4,749,000 2,394,000 1,949,000 406,000

Apr 2003

4,653,000 2,279,000 1,998,000 376,000

May 2003

4,716,000 2,291,000 2,072,000 353,000

Jun 2003

4,718,000 2,315,000 2,076,000 327,000

Jul 2003

4,661,000 2,271,000 2,062,000 328,000

Aug 2003

4,679,000 2,195,000 2,162,000 322,000

Sep 2003

4,645,000 2,354,000 1,932,000 359,000

Oct 2003

4,749,000 2,415,000 1,969,000 365,000

Nov 2003

4,700,000 2,411,000 1,951,000 338,000

Dec 2003

4,785,000 2,444,000 2,007,000 334,000

Jan 2004

4,722,000 2,354,000 2,037,000 331,000

Feb 2004

4,754,000 2,448,000 1,985,000 321,000

Mar 2004

4,996,000 2,582,000 2,065,000 349,000

Apr 2004

4,854,000 2,534,000 2,010,000 310,000

May 2004

4,688,000 2,428,000 1,914,000 346,000

Jun 2004

4,896,000 2,659,000 1,887,000 350,000

Jul 2004

4,828,000 2,609,000 1,885,000 333,000

Aug 2004

4,904,000 2,586,000 1,974,000 345,000

Sep 2004

4,886,000 2,531,000 2,027,000 329,000

Oct 2004

4,786,000 2,550,000 1,903,000 332,000

Nov 2004

5,134,000 2,789,000 2,037,000 308,000

Dec 2004

4,964,000 2,695,000 1,951,000 317,000

Jan 2005

5,045,000 2,732,000 2,008,000 305,000

Feb 2005

5,075,000 2,651,000 2,068,000 357,000

Mar 2005

5,238,000 2,747,000 2,188,000 303,000

Apr 2005

4,998,000 2,741,000 1,957,000 299,000

May 2005

5,110,000 2,763,000 2,021,000 326,000

Jun 2005

5,095,000 2,754,000 2,015,000 326,000

Jul 2005

4,946,000 2,735,000 1,898,000 313,000

Aug 2005

5,210,000 2,957,000 1,905,000 348,000

Sep 2005

5,404,000 3,046,000 2,032,000 326,000

Oct 2005

5,047,000 2,863,000 1,873,000 311,000

Nov 2005

5,005,000 2,895,000 1,769,000 342,000

Dec 2005

5,170,000 2,849,000 1,923,000 397,000

Jan 2006

5,060,000 2,945,000 1,784,000 331,000

Feb 2006

5,232,000 2,965,000 1,882,000 384,000

Mar 2006

5,242,000 2,956,000 1,888,000 397,000

Apr 2006

5,055,000 2,778,000 1,853,000 423,000

May 2006

5,428,000 3,002,000 1,991,000 435,000

Jun 2006

5,271,000 3,042,000 1,817,000 412,000

Jul 2006

5,336,000 3,047,000 1,860,000 430,000

Aug 2006

5,199,000 3,056,000 1,775,000 368,000

Sep 2006

5,100,000 2,888,000 1,831,000 381,000

Oct 2006

5,290,000 2,983,000 1,898,000 410,000

Nov 2006

5,349,000 3,043,000 1,926,000 380,000

Dec 2006

5,138,000 2,999,000 1,772,000 367,000

Jan 2007

5,263,000 2,956,000 1,922,000 386,000

Feb 2007

5,152,000 2,933,000 1,850,000 369,000

Mar 2007

5,236,000 2,997,000 1,882,000 357,000

Apr 2007

5,278,000 2,911,000 2,000,000 367,000

May 2007

5,303,000 3,010,000 1,967,000 325,000

Jun 2007

5,108,000 2,910,000 1,845,000 353,000

Jul 2007

5,225,000 2,951,000 1,896,000 378,000

Aug 2007

5,382,000 3,014,000 2,033,000 335,000

Sep 2007

5,197,000 2,691,000 2,188,000 317,000

Oct 2007

5,252,000 2,926,000 1,998,000 328,000

Nov 2007

5,118,000 2,784,000 1,966,000 367,000

Dec 2007

5,045,000 2,773,000 1,915,000 356,000

Jan 2008

5,149,000 2,847,000 1,989,000 313,000

Feb 2008

5,219,000 2,881,000 1,995,000 343,000

Mar 2008

4,940,000 2,661,000 1,918,000 361,000

Apr 2008

5,167,000 2,837,000 1,958,000 372,000

May 2008

4,852,000 2,607,000 1,950,000 294,000

Jun 2008

5,061,000 2,595,000 2,172,000 294,000

Jul 2008

4,845,000 2,489,000 2,071,000 285,000

Aug 2008

5,006,000 2,445,000 2,190,000 370,000

Sep 2008

4,902,000 2,468,000 2,088,000 346,000

Oct 2008

4,965,000 2,347,000 2,250,000 368,000

Nov 2008

4,819,000 2,157,000 2,290,000 372,000

Dec 2008

4,875,000 2,084,000 2,482,000 309,000

Jan 2009

4,865,000 1,976,000 2,581,000 308,000

Feb 2009

4,852,000 1,952,000 2,599,000 301,000

Mar 2009

4,720,000 1,834,000 2,575,000 311,000

Apr 2009

4,690,000 1,712,000 2,654,000 324,000

May 2009

4,192,000 1,683,000 2,231,000 278,000

Jun 2009

4,234,000 1,685,000 2,261,000 288,000

Jul 2009

4,235,000 1,685,000 2,267,000 283,000

Aug 2009

3,985,000 1,555,000 2,119,000 311,000

Sep 2009

4,126,000 1,627,000 2,195,000 304,000

Oct 2009

3,996,000 1,660,000 2,028,000 308,000

Nov 2009

4,002,000 1,810,000 1,913,000 279,000

Dec 2009

4,099,000 1,766,000 2,033,000 300,000

Jan 2010

3,940,000 1,742,000 1,880,000 317,000

Feb 2010

4,011,000 1,844,000 1,825,000 343,000

Mar 2010

4,089,000 1,856,000 1,924,000 310,000

Apr 2010

3,945,000 1,897,000 1,749,000 299,000

May 2010

3,924,000 1,813,000 1,762,000 349,000

Jun 2010

4,311,000 1,911,000 2,075,000 325,000

Jul 2010

4,269,000 1,785,000 2,166,000 317,000

Aug 2010

4,054,000 1,842,000 1,890,000 321,000

Sep 2010

4,045,000 1,895,000 1,832,000 318,000

Oct 2010

3,884,000 1,846,000 1,745,000 293,000

Nov 2010

4,067,000 1,887,000 1,849,000 331,000

Dec 2010

4,142,000 1,977,000 1,854,000 312,000

Jan 2011

4,001,000 1,832,000 1,827,000 342,000

Feb 2011

4,037,000 1,958,000 1,755,000 325,000

Mar 2011

4,142,000 2,033,000 1,794,000 315,000

Apr 2011

3,991,000 1,882,000 1,792,000 317,000

May 2011

4,189,000 1,965,000 1,904,000 320,000

Jun 2011

4,173,000 1,923,000 1,942,000 308,000

Jul 2011

4,153,000 1,986,000 1,845,000 322,000

Aug 2011

4,173,000 2,031,000 1,845,000 297,000

Sep 2011

4,208,000 2,041,000 1,872,000 296,000

Oct 2011

4,150,000 1,997,000 1,794,000 359,000

Nov 2011

4,267,000 2,039,000 1,912,000 316,000

Dec 2011

4,084,000 1,981,000 1,801,000 303,000

Jan 2012

4,158,000 2,030,000 1,797,000 332,000

Feb 2012

4,349,000 2,130,000 1,903,000 315,000

Mar 2012

4,277,000 2,167,000 1,784,000 326,000

Apr 2012

4,333,000 2,134,000 1,880,000 319,000

May 2012

4,437,000 2,138,000 1,969,000 331,000

Jun 2012

4,382,000 2,152,000 1,892,000 339,000

Jul 2012

4,151,000 2,072,000 1,722,000 357,000

Aug 2012

4,318,000 2,069,000 1,894,000 356,000

Sep 2012

4,092,000 1,950,000 1,805,000 337,000

Oct 2012

4,261,000 2,035,000 1,891,000 336,000

Nov 2012

4,347,000 2,078,000 1,921,000 347,000

Dec 2012

4,118,000 2,051,000 1,700,000 367,000

Jan 2013

4,347,000 2,280,000 1,678,000 388,000

Feb 2013

4,293,000 2,298,000 1,664,000 331,000

Mar 2013

4,241,000 2,124,000 1,787,000 331,000

Apr 2013

4,422,000 2,296,000 1,793,000 334,000

May 2013

4,442,000 2,234,000 1,836,000 371,000

Jun 2013

4,307,000 2,203,000 1,761,000 342,000

Jul 2013

4,421,000 2,363,000 1,713,000 345,000

Aug 2013

4,493,000 2,316,000 1,816,000 362,000

Sep 2013

4,519,000 2,302,000 1,892,000 325,000

Oct 2013

4,350,000 2,372,000 1,675,000 303,000

Nov 2013

4,367,000 2,391,000 1,630,000 346,000

Dec 2013

4,392,000 2,287,000 1,770,000 334,000

Jan 2014

4,435,000 2,311,000 1,806,000 319,000

Feb 2014

4,549,000 2,411,000 1,767,000 371,000

Mar 2014

4,518,000 2,449,000 1,703,000 367,000

Apr 2014

4,597,000 2,474,000 1,764,000 358,000

May 2014

4,572,000 2,483,000 1,710,000 379,000

Jun 2014

4,612,000 2,507,000 1,761,000 345,000

Jul 2014

4,748,000 2,633,000 1,781,000 334,000

Aug 2014

4,623,000 2,549,000 1,699,000 375,000

Sep 2014

4,855,000 2,732,000 1,718,000 405,000

Oct 2014

4,937,000 2,718,000 1,835,000 384,000

Nov 2014

4,682,000 2,600,000 1,726,000 356,000

Dec 2014

4,827,000 2,552,000 1,857,000 419,000

Jan 2015

4,886,000 2,764,000 1,789,000 333,000

Feb 2015

4,869,000 2,741,000 1,757,000 371,000

Mar 2015

5,102,000 2,754,000 1,973,000 375,000

Apr 2015

4,944,000 2,705,000 1,856,000 383,000

May 2015

4,825,000 2,743,000 1,711,000 371,000

Jun 2015

4,978,000 2,756,000 1,821,000 400,000

Jul 2015

4,848,000 2,764,000 1,703,000 381,000

Aug 2015

5,032,000 2,879,000 1,773,000 380,000

Sep 2015

5,110,000 2,778,000 1,964,000 367,000

Oct 2015

5,032,000 2,810,000 1,845,000 378,000

Nov 2015

5,089,000 2,897,000 1,779,000 414,000

Dec 2015

5,225,000 3,056,000 1,803,000 366,000

Jan 2016

5,099,000 2,875,000 1,805,000 419,000

Feb 2016

5,265,000 2,994,000 1,894,000 376,000

Mar 2016

5,133,000 2,917,000 1,850,000 366,000

Apr 2016

5,110,000 2,955,000 1,771,000 384,000

May 2016

5,176,000 3,009,000 1,825,000 342,000

Jun 2016

5,118,000 3,018,000 1,750,000 350,000

Jul 2016

5,065,000 2,967,000 1,759,000 339,000

Aug 2016

5,204,000 2,998,000 1,860,000 345,000

Sep 2016

4,985,000 3,047,000 1,588,000 350,000

Oct 2016

5,125,000 3,074,000 1,664,000 387,000

Nov 2016

5,139,000 3,026,000 1,751,000 362,000

Dec 2016

5,071,000 2,989,000 1,708,000 374,000

Jan 2017

5,291,000 3,166,000 1,738,000 387,000

Feb 2017

5,170,000 3,085,000 1,714,000 371,000

Mar 2017

5,271,000 3,145,000 1,759,000 367,000

Apr 2017

5,086,000 3,028,000 1,705,000 352,000

May 2017

5,297,000 3,125,000 1,804,000 367,000

Jun 2017

5,440,000 3,166,000 1,935,000 339,000

Jul 2017

5,297,000 3,107,000 1,858,000 332,000

Aug 2017

5,393,000 3,109,000 1,919,000 365,000

Sep 2017

5,413,000 3,214,000 1,885,000 314,000

Oct 2017

5,356,000 3,177,000 1,835,000 344,000

Nov 2017

5,259,000 3,166,000 1,740,000 353,000

Dec 2017

5,165,000 3,194,000 1,676,000 295,000

Jan 2018

5,369,000 3,034,000 1,994,000 341,000

Feb 2018

5,289,000 3,200,000 1,758,000 330,000

Mar 2018

5,468,000 3,305,000 1,783,000 381,000

Apr 2018

5,442,000 3,366,000 1,741,000 336,000

May 2018

5,502,000 3,401,000 1,767,000 334,000

Jun 2018

5,553,000 3,401,000 1,793,000 359,000

Jul 2018

5,578,000 3,444,000 1,791,000 342,000

Aug 2018

5,635,000 3,476,000 1,838,000 321,000

Sep 2018

5,539,000 3,424,000 1,778,000 337,000

Oct 2018

5,613,000 3,460,000 1,824,000 329,000

Nov 2018

5,683,000 3,435,000 1,905,000 343,000

Dec 2018

5,515,000 3,381,000 1,824,000 310,000

Jan 2019

5,511,000 3,521,000 1,689,000 301,000

Feb 2019

5,664,000 3,543,000 1,769,000 353,000

Mar 2019

5,575,000 3,524,000 1,721,000 331,000

Apr 2019

5,761,000 3,494,000 1,954,000 313,000

May 2019

5,571,000 3,487,000 1,776,000 307,000

Jun 2019

5,613,000 3,527,000 1,771,000 316,000

Jul 2019

5,797,000 3,627,000 1,826,000 344,000

Aug 2019

5,722,000 3,591,000 1,825,000 306,000

Sep 2019

5,777,000 3,449,000 1,982,000 345,000

Oct 2019

5,566,000 3,414,000 1,793,000 359,000

Nov 2019

5,644,000 3,482,000 1,788,000 374,000

Dec 2019

5,793,000 3,487,000 1,952,000 354,000

Jan 2020

5,714,000 3,568,000 1,788,000 358,000

Feb 2020

5,715,000 3,430,000 1,953,000 332,000

Mar 2020

16,308,000 2,902,000 13,046,000 360,000

Apr 2020

11,782,000 2,107,000 9,307,000 368,000

May 2020

4,618,000 2,206,000 2,096,000 316,000

Jun 2020

5,180,000 2,646,000 2,204,000 331,000

Jul 2020

5,392,000 3,182,000 1,845,000 365,000

Aug 2020

4,901,000 2,987,000 1,573,000 342,000

Sep 2020

5,235,000 3,307,000 1,555,000 373,000

Oct 2020

5,427,000 3,352,000 1,728,000 347,000

Nov 2020

5,744,000 3,296,000 2,123,000 325,000

Dec 2020

5,582,000 3,407,000 1,823,000 352,000

Jan 2021

5,323,000 3,306,000 1,724,000 294,000

Feb 2021

5,429,000 3,383,000 1,723,000 323,000

Mar 2021

5,436,000 3,568,000 1,525,000 343,000

Apr 2021[p]

5,760,000 3,952,000 1,444,000 364,000

[p] = preliminary.

In April 2021, the number of total separations increased in retail trade (+116,000) and in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+60,000). Quits increased in a number of industries with the largest increases in retail trade (+106,000), professional and business services (+94,000), and transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+49,000). The number of layoffs and discharges decreased in finance and insurance (−24,000). Other separations increased in transportation, warehousing, and utilities (+16,000) and in durable goods manufacturing (+7,000).

There were 364,000 total other separations in April 2021 resulting from retirement, death, disability, and transfers to other locations of the same firm.

These data are from the Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary. To learn more, see "Job Openings and Labor Turnover — April 2021". Also see charts featuring data on job openings, hires, and separations.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Job separations increase by 324,000 to 5,760,000 in April 2021 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/job-separations-increase-by-324000-to-5760000-in-april-2021.htm (visited March 29, 2024).

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