calculator template · Free download
Employee Turnover Rate Calculator
Free turnover rate calculator: monthly, annual and annualized rates, voluntary vs involuntary, compared with 2025 BLS JOLTS rates. Plus a cost worksheet.
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Calculate employee turnover rate
Enter headcount at the start and end of the period and how many people left. The calculator gives the turnover rate for the period, the average monthly rate, and an annualized figure, then sets it against the latest BLS separation and quit rates for your industry.
- Average headcount
- 205.0
- Total separations
- 52
- Annual turnover rate
- 25.37%
- Voluntary turnover rate
- 18.54%
- Involuntary turnover rate
- 6.83%
- Average monthly turnover rate
- 2.11%
Total private, 2025 (BLS JOLTS)
Total separations averaged 3.6% of employment a month (about 43% over a year). Quits averaged 2.2% a month (about 26% a year).
Your average month: 2.1% total, 1.5% voluntary.
How the math works, with sources
Turnover rate = separations / average headcount x 100, where average headcount = (start + end) / 2. With 52 separations and an average of 205 employees over a year, annual turnover is 52 / 205 x 100 = 25.37%. For a partial period, the annualized rate is the period rate x 12 / months in the period. For a full year, the more precise denominator is the average of the 12 monthly headcounts, if you track them.
The benchmarks are BLS Job Openings and Labor Turnover Survey annual averages for 2025, not seasonally adjusted. BLS computes each as the sum of 12 monthly separation (or quit) levels as a percent of the sum of 12 monthly employment levels, which makes it an average month. The yearly figures shown are that rate x 12.
JOLTS counts every separation from the payroll: quits, layoffs and discharges (including seasonal endings), and other separations such as retirements and transfers to other locations. Quits exclude retirements. If your own count leaves out seasonal or temporary staff, expect it to sit below the BLS figure for your industry.
Sources: BLS JOLTS Table 20 (separations rates), BLS JOLTS Table 22 (quits rates), BLS JOLTS definitions.
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What you get
- Formulas for monthly, annual, and annualized turnover with fully worked examples
- Voluntary vs involuntary, regrettable, and first-year turnover calculations
- The retention rate formula, and why it is not simply 100% minus turnover
- A cost-of-turnover worksheet that builds the cost from your own numbers
- A 12-month tracker to log headcount and separations
Template preview
A preview of the structure. Download the PDF or CSV for the complete, ready-to-use version.
Inputs
- Headcount at start of period
- Headcount at end of period
- Total separations in the period— everyone who left, however they left
- Voluntary separations— resignations and retirements
Turnover formulas with a worked example
Example month: 200 employees on the 1st, 196 on the 31st, 6 separations (4 voluntary, 2 involuntary; 1 of the voluntary leavers was regrettable).
| Metric | Formula | Example inputs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average headcount | (Start headcount + end headcount) / 2 | (200 + 196) / 2 | 198 |
| Monthly turnover rate | Separations / average headcount x 100 | 6 / 198 x 100 | 3.03% |
| Voluntary turnover rate | Voluntary separations / average headcount x 100 | 4 / 198 x 100 | 2.02% |
| Involuntary turnover rate | Involuntary separations / average headcount x 100 | 2 / 198 x 100 | 1.01% |
Annual, first-year, and retention calculations
| Metric | Formula | Example inputs | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annual turnover rate | Total separations in year / average of the 12 monthly average headcounts x 100 | 58 separations; average headcount 205 | 58 / 205 x 100 = 28.29% |
| Annualized rate (partial year) | Year-to-date turnover rate x (12 / months elapsed) | 15 separations, average headcount 200, after 3 months: 7.5% | 7.5% x (12 / 3) = 30.0% |
| First-year turnover | Hires who left within 12 months of start / total hires in the cohort x 100 | 40 hires; 11 left within their first year | 11 / 40 x 100 = 27.5% |
| Retention rate | Employees at start who are still employed at end / employees at start x 100 | 200 at start; 162 of them still employed at year end | 162 / 200 x 100 = 81.0% |
Retention and turnover don't add to 100%. Retention only looks at the people you started the year with; new hires who join and leave in the same year raise turnover but never touch the retention rate. In the examples above, annual turnover is 28.29% and retention is 81.0%, and both are correct.
Monthly turnover tracker
Log the numbers at month end. Average headcount = (start + end) / 2. Monthly rate = separations / average headcount x 100. For the annual rate, add the 12 separation counts and divide by the average of the 12 average-headcount figures.
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How to use this template
- 1
Agree the definitions first
Decide who counts as a separation (usually all regular employees who leave; many teams exclude interns, seasonal staff, and internal transfers) and write it down so the number means the same thing every month.
- 2
Log headcount and separations monthly
Record headcount on the first and last day of each month and every separation with its type: voluntary, involuntary, retirement, or end of contract.
- 3
Calculate the monthly rate, then the annual
Monthly turnover = separations / average headcount x 100. For the year, divide total separations by the average of the 12 monthly headcounts.
- 4
Split the number before you report it
A single turnover figure hides the story. Report voluntary, involuntary, regrettable, and first-year turnover separately so leaders can see where the problem is.
- 5
Price it with your own numbers
Use the cost worksheet for one or two recently vacated roles, with real recruiting spend and real ramp time, rather than quoting a generic industry percentage.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate employee turnover rate?
Divide the number of separations in the period by the average headcount and multiply by 100. Average headcount is (start headcount + end headcount) / 2. With 6 separations and an average of 198 employees, monthly turnover is 6 / 198 x 100 = 3.03%.
How do you calculate annual turnover rate?
Add the separations for all 12 months and divide by the average headcount for the year (the average of the 12 monthly averages), then multiply by 100. If you only have part of the year, annualize it: year-to-date rate x (12 / months elapsed).
What is the difference between turnover rate and retention rate?
Turnover counts everyone who left relative to average headcount, including new hires who joined and left in the same year. Retention looks only at the people employed at the start of the period and asks what share of them are still there at the end. The two rarely add up to 100%.
What is regrettable turnover?
Regrettable turnover is voluntary departures of people you would have wanted to keep and would rehire, typically strong performers or people in hard-to-fill roles. Decide the criteria in advance (for example, a recent rating of meets or exceeds and eligible for rehire) so managers don't label it after the fact.
How much does employee turnover cost?
It varies too much by role for a single percentage to be reliable. Build it up from separation admin, vacancy cover, recruiting spend and time, onboarding, and ramp-up productivity loss. In the worksheet example, a $70,000 role costs $16,665 to replace, or 23.8% of salary.
What is a good employee turnover rate?
It depends heavily on industry. In BLS JOLTS data for 2025, total separations averaged 3.3% of employment a month across all US employers (about 40% a year), 5.6% a month in leisure and hospitality, 2.1% in finance and insurance, and 1.5% in government. Quits alone averaged 2.0% a month overall. Your most useful benchmark is your own trend by department and tenure band, and the split between voluntary, involuntary, and regrettable turnover.