The number of U.S. workers voluntarily leaving their jobs climbed by 321,000 in September 2026 to 3.37 million, the highest level since March 2025. On a year-over-year basis, total nonfarm quits rose by 375,000.
The increase was driven largely by accommodation and food services, where quits jumped by 197,000, while quits in arts, entertainment, and recreation declined by 19,000. The quits rate edged up to 2.1% in September—its highest reading in more than a year—from 1.9% in August.
Quits rose in every major U.S. region, led by the West (+195,000), followed by the Midwest (+48,000), the South (+46,000), and the Northeast (+32,000).
