Job Sentiment

Job sentiment represents workers’ confidence in the labor market, measured through the Job Quits rate tracked by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

This metric quantifies how many employees voluntarily leave their positions and serves as an economic health indicator.

What It Signals

An elevated quits rate typically indicates positive worker sentiment—people feel secure enough to seek better opportunities elsewhere. Conversely, a declining quits rate suggests labor market anxiety, as workers cling to current employment.

Recession Indicator

“A sudden decrease in the quits rate can be a recession signal, indicating that workers are clinging to their current jobs due to uncertainty about finding new ones in a contracting job market.”

During economic downturns, job security becomes paramount, and voluntary separations decline accordingly.

Tracking the Metric

This allows independent monitoring of the indicator for recession signals.