They reveal the jobs with the greatest growth in the last 5 years 0:54
New York (CNN Business) --
Last year was a historic one for employment in the United States.
A record number of workers quit their jobs, while American employers had more vacancies to fill than ever before.
In December, 4.3 million Americans left their jobs, down slightly from November's record 4.5 million, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.
While millions of workers have left their jobs for cash incentives, better wages or better benefits, people have also left the labor market to care for their children or elderly relatives during the pandemic.
Meanwhile, older workers took early retirement, either because they were able to or because age discrimination forced them out of the labor market.
Forced retirements due to the pandemic 1:01
The number of workers who left their jobs last month fell in the health and social care sectors, as well as in restaurants, hotels and construction.
The resignations increased in the manufacture of non-durable goods.
Despite a record number of people leaving their jobs last year, the US labor market saw a net increase in employment of 6.4 million.
In all, 75.3 million workers were hired last year, while 68.9 million quit, were fired or laid off.
Of these so-called separations, 47.4 million were voluntary resignations.
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Accordingly, the number of layoffs reached a new record low of 1.2 million in December, showing that the negative impact of the omicron variant of the coronavirus did not fully affect the labor market at the end of last year.
Job offers stood at 10.9 million in December, compared to the maximum of the data series of 11.1 million registered in July.
"I'm constantly tired": Omicron variant puts essential workers under a lot of pressure
Worker shortage continues
For American businesses, the labor shortage remains as real as it was in the summer.
Home Depot has a plan to meet the challenge: speed up job openings.
The world's largest home improvement retailer said Tuesday that job seekers "could receive an offer within a day of submitting their application."
Home Depot said the "expedited" hiring process is part of its plan to hire more than 100,000 new associates before its busy spring season.
"In the current climate, job seekers are looking for the best opportunity," Eric Schelling, Home Depot's vice president of global talent acquisition, said in a statement.
To attract workers, Home Depot said it offers job seekers various incentives, such as training programs, tuition reimbursement, a cash bonus program and discounts on stock purchases.
The pandemic forced us to rethink the way we work.
A new study released Tuesday by the University of Michigan shows that college-educated workers prioritize passion for work over financial security, forcing companies to reevaluate what they offer their employees.
-- CNN's Matt Egan contributed to this report.
Jobs in the United States
