A very interesting chart from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics for December 2013, showing labor turnover. This was brought to my attention by blogger Steve Boese in a recent post. The full BLS government report is available for your viewing pleasure if want to see more analysis and detail.
What I found interesting was the clear correlation between the reduction in company-driven layoffs (a sign of improved business performance and probably greater company confidence in the situation going forward) and the measurable increase in number of employees quitting (probably an indicator of improved confidence in their prospects, or long standing attempts to find something “better” starting to pay off). Either way, it speaks somewhat to the ongoing volatility of employment — from an employee’s perspective: “…either business sucks and you’ll lay me off, and in better times, I’ll end up quitting since the job sucks!”. Heck of a foundation to build a vibrant economy on….
