WASHINGTON (AP) — One reason America's employers have trouble filling jobs was starkly illustrated in a report Tuesday: Americans are quitting in droves.
The Labor Department said that quits jumped to 4.3 million in August, the highest on records dating back to December 2000, and up from 4 million in July.
Hiring also slowed in August.
The report showed the number of jobs available fell to 10.4 million, from a record high of 11.1 million the previous month.
According to the report, the three industries that saw job openings decreased included health care and social assistance (-224,000), accommodation and food services (-178,000), and state and local government education (-124,000).
Hires decreased to 6.3 million, according to the report.
The report stated that the two industries that saw a decrease in hiring were accommodation and food services (-240,000) and state and local government education (-160,000).
The data strongly suggests that the delta variant wreaked havoc on the job market in August.
As COVID-19 cases surged, quits jumped in restaurants and hotels and rose in other public-facing jobs, such as retail and education.
