Here’s an unfun fact: Work enthusiasm is the lowest it’s been in a decade. “Work sucks, I know,” Blink-182 once warned us, but we didn’t listen. Today, nearly 70% of people are quitting their jobs.
Exactly what industries are driving people to their breaking point the fastest? GIGAcalculator analyzed some data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and whipped up a little report on what jobs people are quitting the most. Curious? Here are the 19 types of industries they analyzed, ranked.
1. Hospitality & Food Service
Average Annual Income: $36,050
Median Age: 42.9
Median Years of Tenure: 2.1
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 10,978
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 34.01%
No shock here: This industry exists so people can quit when they’re done with it.
2. Arts, Entertainment & Recreation
Average Annual Income: $39,729
Median Age: 38.9
Median Years of Tenure: 2.7
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 1,856
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 26.29%
You can only get screamed at by a Hollywood type so many times before you’re outta there. Also: How does recreation fit into this? We talking about theme parks over here?
3. Wholesale & Retail Trade
Average Annual Income: $65,725
Median Age: 39.6
Median Years of Tenure: 3.1
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 4,959
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 25.06%
This is another industry people only get into with the intention of eventually quitting, so the only weird part here is that it isn’t higher.
4. Publishing & Media
Average Annual Income: $71,646
Median Age: 42.9
Median Years of Tenure: 3.9
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 284
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 21.35%
Certain publishing jobs can be a 24/7 thing. No thanks.
5. Human Resources
Average Annual Income: $66,248
Median Age: 41.8
Median Years of Tenure: 3.4
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 179
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 21.23%
HR people are often hated. Is that the life you want for yourself?
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6. Construction
Average Annual Income: $69,984
Median Age: 41.9
Median Years of Tenure: 4.2
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 2,508
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 21.08%
Not worth the risk!
7. Marketing & PR
Average Annual Income: $73,679
Median Age: 40.2
Median Years of Tenure: 3.5
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 129
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 20.84%
This industry is a grind that truly never sleeps.
8. Healthcare
Average Annual Income: $68,087
Median Age: 42.6
Median Years of Tenure: 3.5
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 13,912
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 20.75%
This is probably an all-too-grim look at our country.
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9. Transportation
Average Annual Income: $68,087
Median Age: 42.6
Median Years of Tenure: 3.5
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 3,464
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 20.49%
You can only haul people around for so long before you need to haul yourself to another job.
10. Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
Average Annual Income: $44,305
Median Age: 46.3
Median Years of Tenure: 4.4
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 461
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 20.35%
This doesn’t count as the recreation industry? O.K., then.
11. Mining, Quarrying, Oil & Gas Extraction
Average Annual Income: $69,687
Median Age: 42.1
Median Years of Tenure: 5.7
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 120
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 20.35%
These are demanding jobs; surprising that people don’t leave more often.
12. Education
Average Annual Income: $59,857
Median Age: 43.8
Median Years of Tenure: 4.0
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 5,577
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 19.88%
It’s said that a lot of people become teachers for the summers off — most people that aren’t cut out for it don’t last too long.
13. Manufacturing
Average Annual Income: $51,037
Median Age: 44.1
Median Years of Tenure: 4.9
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 3,082
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 19.79%
Who wants to work around machines all day?
14. Science, IT & Technology
Average Annual Income: $161,259
Median Age: 42.2
Median Years of Tenure: 5.2
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 1,729
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 19.71%
Tech isn’t always reliable, and people are starting to look for careers elsewhere.
15. Utilities & Energy
Average Annual Income: $125,000
Median Age: 44.0
Median Years of Tenure: 4.9
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 587
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 19.60%
There will always be a need for work in utilities, but that means there will always be work in the customer service department to get screamed at by irate customers. Tough choice.
16. Banking & Finance
Average Annual Income: $126,712
Median Age: 43.4
Median Years of Tenure: 4.8
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 3,477
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 18.91%
If I lived in a city with even one single superhero, you would not catch me working at a bank. That thing is getting robbed any second.
17. Public Administration
Average Annual Income: $134,920
Median Age: 45.1
Median Years of Tenure: 6.2
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 1,441
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 18.04%
City planners and the like seem to stick around in the public admin industry more than they do in most of these others.
18. Property & Real Estate
Average Annual Income: $87,228
Median Age: 44.6
Median Years of Tenure: 4.0
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 1,765
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 17.98%
You have to be the best of the best to make it in this extremely competitive industry — plus, it helps to start out incredibly rich so you can have a rolodex full of rich friends.
19. Legal Services
Average Annual Income: $81,516
Median Age: 46.6
Median Years of Tenure: 3.5
Total Number of Job Hoppers: 304
Percentage of Job Hoppers: 17.51%
It’s either very surprising or very unsurprising that lawyers are lowest on this list; I can’t make up my mind. Maybe they’re quitting because they have to spend time with each other, am I right?
