Key takeaways:
- HR is facing one of the highest turnover rates in today’s workforce.
- Overall U.S. turnover has dropped to 3.6% in 2024, but many sectors still exceed the benchmark for healthy turnover (<10%).
- Burnout is widespread in HR, with 98% of professionals reporting it in the past 6 months.
- 75% of voluntary resignations can be avoided with the right strategies in place.
- Employees often leave because of money, workloads, feelings of being undervalued, and a lack of advancement.
- Organizations must treat HR like a strategic team, not just a support function.
- Clear, data-driven retention plans can save tens of thousands in avoidable costs.
Employee turnover disrupts culture, continuity, and performance. While every industry struggles with turnover in its own way, understanding the latest trends by sector helps leaders figure out where they stand and uncover what’s driving exits.
In this 2025 overview, we spotlight which industries are struggling most to retain talent, and why HR itself has become one of the most volatile roles of all. From burnout to budget cuts, HR teams are stretched thin at the very moment they’re being asked to do more.
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National Turnover Benchmarks
Before diving into industry-specific insights, it’s helpful to understand the broader talent landscape. Despite headlines about “quiet quitting” or reshuffling, the overall U.S. turnover rate has cooled slightly, landing at 3.6% in 2024. That’s a welcome drop from the post-pandemic highs, but still above pre-2020 levels.
A “healthy” turnover rate is often cited as under 10%. But many industries and job functions regularly surpass this threshold, especially those involving physical labor, emotional strain, or public-facing roles. A single exit can cost a company a third of that person’s salary. For high-churn roles, the impact adds up fast.
| Metric | Rate / Value |
|---|---|
| U.S. average turnover rate (2024) | 3.6% |
| Benchmark for healthy turnover | <10% |
| HR turnover (estimated) | 15% |
| Cost per resignation (avg) | $36,295 |
| Turnover preventability (voluntary) | 75% preventable |
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Turnover by Industry: How HR Compares
Industries vary widely in their ability to retain talent. HR sits in the top third for turnover, which is on par with sectors known for burnout and instability. For a field tasked with solving retention, this data signals a deeper breakdown in support systems.
Here’s how 2024 turnover rates break down across key sectors:
| Industry | Turnover Rate (%) |
|---|---|
| Government Jobs | 1.3% |
| Finance & Insurance | 1.6% |
| Information Sector | 2.7% |
| Manufacturing | 2.7% |
| Construction | 3.9% |
| Trade/Transport/Utilities | 3.6% |
| Private Education & Health | 3.4% |
| Professional & Business Services | 4.7% |
| Human Resources | 15.0% |
| Public Education | 16.0% |
| Banking / Finance | 19.8% |
| Healthcare (Hospitals) | 22.7% |
| At-home Healthcare | 31.1% |
| Retail / Wholesale | 32.9% |
| Nursing Homes | 53.3% |
| Technology | ~60% |
Why Is HR Turnover So High?
Turnover among HR professionals is unfortunately accelerating. Multiple studies show HR teams are being asked to handle more with fewer resources, while also absorbing the emotional burden of workplace transformation.
| Challenge | Description | Challenge | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-pandemic burnout | Nearly 98% of HR pros reported burnout over a six-month period. | Lack of internal support | While they create wellness programs for others, HR often lacks their own. |
| Layoff vulnerability | HR is frequently the first to be cut during downsizing. | Emotional labor | Constantly managing employee stress, layoffs, and crises without a break. |
Only 32% of HR teams say they’re highly effective at developing leadership internally. And less than 7% have a clear AI strategy, even as digital tools rapidly reshape their responsibilities. HR is being asked to lead the organization through change, while lacking the support needed to lead themselves.
“The team that cares for the rest of the employees is often the first team that gets impacted.”
— Laszlo Bock, former Google SVP of People Operations
Why Employees (Including HR) Leave
It’s easy to blame turnover on pay alone, but the story is more complicated than that. For HR teams, the problem is especially frustrating: they know what good employee experiences should look like and often aren’t experiencing them themselves.
Research shows employees are increasingly motivated to leave because of:
- Better pay and benefits elsewhere (34%)
- Unrealistic workloads or expectations (30%)
- Feeling overworked and undervalued (22%)
- Limited flexibility or lack of advancement (14%)
What HR and Other Employers Can Do To Stop The Churn
To slow turnover, organizations need to treat HR not just as a function, but as a team that deserves the same investment, protection, and long-term planning as any revenue-generating group.
Here’s what works:
| For HR Teams | For High-Churn Sectors (Retail, Healthcare, Tech) | For All Employers |
|---|---|---|
| Create protected time for wellness and PTO | Add shift flexibility and clarity on advancement | Make retention a measurable KPI, not a side initiative |
| Offer external peer support groups and networking | Provide real-time support, not just yearly surveys | Equip managers to spot disengagement early |
| Use tech to streamline reporting and compliance tasks | Communicate openly during periods of instability | Regularly update pay transparency and promotion policies |
| Build internal career ladders | Introduce cross-training to reduce burnout and build versatility | Conduct regular stay interviews to surface early signs of dissatisfaction |
Find and Retain HR Employees
If your team is stretched thin or your HR employees are burning out, it’s time to act. Use these benchmarks to assess where you stand, and take steps to strengthen retention before it costs you top talent.
Don’t wait for your employee’s exit interviews. Build a strategy that keeps people from leaving in the first place. Find the right staff for you and your company today.