New analysis finds accommodation and food service workers are voluntarily leaving jobs at nearly double the national average.
AUSTIN, Texas, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Workers in the U.S. hospitality industry are quitting their jobs at a higher rate than employees in any other sector of the economy, according to a new OysterLink analysis of Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data released this week.
The latest Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey (JOLTS) shows the quit rate for accommodation and food services reached 4.3% in March 2026 — the highest among all industries tracked by the BLS and nearly double the private-sector average of 2.2%.
Importantly, most hospitality departures are voluntary. Roughly three-quarters of all separations in the sector are workers choosing to leave, while layoffs remain stable at 1.3%, matching the national average. The data suggests the industry’s turnover problem is being driven less by employer cuts and more by workers actively walking away.
No other major industry comes close. Retail trade, the second-highest sector, recorded a 3.1% quit rate. Healthcare stood at 1.9%, professional and business services at 2.0%, manufacturing at 1.4%, finance at 1.2%, and government at just 0.7%.
Hospitality Operators Are Constantly Rehiring
OysterLink’s own hiring data reflects the scale of the issue. The platform tracked 166,770 hospitality job postings across 707 U.S. cities during Q1 2026, including more than 127,000 entry-level openings. A significant portion of those listings are believed to represent replacement hiring rather than newly created positions.
The sector’s hiring rate — 6.2% in March, also the highest among all industries — appears closely tied to the industry’s elevated quit rate. Operators are hiring aggressively because they are continuously replacing workers who leave.
About OysterLink
OysterLink is a job platform for restaurant and hospitality professionals, reaching over 350,000 monthly visitors. With listings, including top jobs in Houston and Austin, industry insights and resources, OysterLink helps professionals build rewarding careers in hospitality. To post a job or explore more labor market data, visit www.oysterlink.com.
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SOURCE OysterLink
