Survey: Why Do People Quit Their Jobs?

Why People Quit Research Summary

66% of people would quit their jobs due to money, making it the most common reason for leaving.
Out of the options provided, a Company’s social impact is the least common reason people would quit, at only 18%.
The second most common reasons for quitting include unpleasant coworkers and a bad boss, both at 63% of respondents respectively.
64% of workers say they think about quitting their job.

What makes good employees quit?

Is it money or a new, swanky title- aka “better opportunities?” Could it be workers are seeking something deeper? Like work-life balance and a job, they find fulfilling. Or maybe the old adage, “people don’t quit their job, they quit bosses” is true.

We surveyed 2,000 US workers to better understand what drives workers to quit- and just maybe, what might help them stay.

The results? Money matters, but it isn’t the only factor that has workers polishing off their resumes.

Quick Facts

Other Interesting Findings

42% of workers say they would never quit without a new job lined up.
Meanwhile, 22% are confident they’ll find another job soon if they quit, while 36% will leave regardless if unhappy.
The majority of workers (60%) have never impulsively quit a job.
However 15% of workers plan on quitting in the next 3 months.
Massachusetts, Ohio, and South Dakota are working to live, not living to work.
The west coast has a real problem with their bosses- workers in California, Washington, and Oregon are most likely to leave their jobs due to bad bosses.
Want to retain workers in New Jersey? Offer them advancement opportunities!
8 states are most likely to leave their job due to disliking the work they’re doing.

Why People Quit Their Jobs

Since most people go to work to earn a paycheck, it’s not too surprising money is the main motivator to look for greener pastures.

However, money isn’t the sole reason workers quit. In fact, over 60% of workers admit unpleasant work environment, an unsupportive boss, and work they don’t enjoy will hasten their departure from a job.

Life is short, but doing work you hate with people you don’t enjoy, will make the hours of 8-5 feel a lot longer.

Other Common Reasons Why People Quit Their Jobs

Inciting incident
Mental health
Hostile work environment
Physical health
Improved financial circumstances
Changes in job or workplace
Workplace favoritism

The most interesting response? Inciting incident. While most workers are leaving for better opportunities or due to long-term dissatisfaction, one incident can leave some workers to say, “Goodbye!”

While that inciting incident might be an unforgettable workplace confrontation, it could also be a dismissive comment or a moment of disrespect. As one worker put it, “Once I realized my boss had so little respect for me, I couldn’t stay.”

We left off some uncommon but fun answers such as “hungover,” “spring break,” and the “new Call Of Duty game.” When you don’t have a mortgage or future career aspirations at your job, Panama City Beach might be all the reason a worker needs.

METHODOLOGY

Zippia.com, a career resource website, conducted a study of 2,000 workers across the US to better why workers leave their jobs.

Each respondent was asked a series of questions about their motivations for quitting and job history. Vermont was excluded due to sample size.

“You can’t fire me, I quit!”

Movies and tv shows often depict workers quitting in flashy, dramatic scenes. While those happen (shout out to the 40% of workers who, at one point in their life, have impulsively quit a job),
those aren’t the typical quitting story.

Most workers carefully plan out their departure and consider all of their options.

In fact, 42% of workers wouldn’t voluntarily leave a job without another lined up. Bills and financial responsibilities are funny that way.

Yet, even while devoted employees don’t ever think of quitting their job, a not insignificant number of employees think about quitting daily or weekly.

What can employers do to retain these employees? While money, the most common reason, might be a good step in retaining workers, it won’t magically fix retention issues.

Many workers leave for multiple reasons- a lot coming back to them not enjoying their job or coming into work.

It can take a lot of money to make someone smile. Companies seeking retention might find it cheaper, if more complicated, to examine the cultural issues that are contributing to high turnover.

Most Common Reason For Quitting

State	Most Common Reason
Alabama	Money
Alaska	Unpleasant environment
Arizona	Bad boss
Arkansas	Unpleasant environment
California	Bad boss
Colorado	Unpleasant environment
Connecticut	No opportunity
Delaware	Money
Florida	Money
Georgia	Money
Hawaii	Unpleasant environment
Idaho	Unpleasant environment
Illinois	Dislike the work
Indiana	Unpleasant environment
Iowa	Money
Kansas	Unpleasant environment
Kentucky	Dislike the work
Louisiana	Money
Maine	Money
Maryland	Bad boss
Massachusetts	Work-life balance
Michigan	Dislike the work
Minnesota	Money
Mississippi	Bad boss
Missouri	Unpleasant environment
Montana	Unpleasant environment
Nebraska	No opportunity
Nevada	Money
New Hampshire	Dislike the work
New Jersey	No opportunity
New Mexico	Dislike the work
New York	Dislike the work
North Carolina	Money
North Dakota	Unpleasant environment
Ohio	Work-life balance
Oklahoma	Unpleasant environment
Oregon	Bad boss
Pennsylvania	Dislike the work
Rhode Island	Money
South Carolina	Dislike the work
South Dakota	Work-life balance
Tennessee	Bad boss
Texas	Money
Utah	Money
Virginia	Unpleasant environment
Washington	Bad boss
West Virginia	Bad boss
Wisconsin	Money
Wyoming	Bad boss

Author

Kathy Morris

Kathy is the head of content at Zippia with a knack for engaging audiences. Prior to joining Zippia, Kathy worked at Gateway Blend growing audiences across diverse brands. She graduated from Troy University with a degree in Social Science Education.

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