UK staff turnover statistics: what can actually be verified
Most turnover statistics online cite each other in a circle. This page does something different: every figure traces to a primary source you can check, and the famous number that doesn't gets called what it is.
There is no official UK staff turnover rate - the ONS does not publish one. The best verifiable figure is CIPD's analysis of the Annual Population Survey: overall churn of 34%, of which 27.4% move to another employer and 6.6% leave the workforce entirely. Sector rates range from around 25% (public administration) to around 52% (hospitality). The "15% UK average" quoted across the internet has no traceable primary source.
The number that doesn't exist
Search for the average UK turnover rate and you will find "around 15%" repeated confidently across HR blogs - almost always citing another blog, which cites another. The Office for National Statistics publishes employment, vacancies and payroll series, but no national staff turnover rate; it has said it plans to publish experimental labour-market flows from payroll data in late 2026, which would be the first official measure of its kind. Until then, any single "UK average" you read is survey-based at best and folklore at worst. This is the same pattern we found with sickness absence statistics, where the official survey figure and employers' own records differ by a factor of two.
The verifiable churn figures
CIPD's analysis of the Annual Population Survey - a genuine primary analysis of official survey data - puts overall UK churn at 34%: 27.4% of workers moving to another employer in a year and 6.6% leaving the workforce (study, retirement, long-term ill health). Note what this measures: all movement, not just resignations, which is why it sits far above the folklore figure. The spread by sector is enormous - from around 25% in public administration and defence to around 52% in hospitality - which is why benchmarking against a national average is close to meaningless. Our turnover calculator carries the sector table.
Every figure and where it comes from
| Figure | Value | Source and status |
|---|---|---|
| Overall UK churn | 34% | CIPD analysis of the ONS Annual Population Survey - verifiable |
| … of which moved to another employer | 27.4% | same CIPD/APS analysis - verifiable |
| … of which left the workforce | 6.6% | same CIPD/APS analysis - verifiable |
| Lowest-churn sector (public admin & defence) | ~25% | CIPD sector analysis - verifiable |
| Highest-churn sector (hospitality) | ~52% | CIPD sector analysis - verifiable |
| Vacancies, May–Jul 2026 | 707,000 | ONS labour market overview, Aug 2026 - verifiable |
| Payrolled employees, Jul 2026 | 30.3m | ONS, down 94,000 on the year - verifiable |
| "UK average turnover" | "15%" | no traceable primary source - blogs citing blogs |
The labour market behind the churn
Context from the ONS Labour market overview, UK: August 2026 (released 18 August 2026): vacancies at 707,000 for May to July 2026, down 6,000 (0.8%) on the quarter; the employment rate at 75.1% and unemployment at 4.9% (April to June 2026); economic inactivity at 20.9%; and 30.3 million payrolled employees, down 94,000 on the year and drifting down for two years. A cooling market cuts voluntary turnover - people move less when vacancies shrink - which flatters everyone's retention numbers for reasons that have nothing to do with management. Judge your trend against the market's, not in a vacuum.
The number that matters more than either
Total turnover mixes people you were glad to see go with people you fought to keep. The number a leadership team should actually watch is regretted attrition - leavers you would rehire tomorrow - tracked as its own line, benchmarked against your own trailing year. A company with 30% total turnover and near-zero regretted leavers has a hiring funnel; a company with 12% total and every departure regretted has a management problem the headline number hides. The board report guide covers how to present both without benchmark theatre.
How to measure yours
Leavers in the period, divided by average headcount in the period, times 100 - measured consistently, split into voluntary and total, with regretted leavers flagged. The definitions matter more than the formula: decide once whether fixed-term endings and TUPE transfers count, write it down, and never change it mid-year. Our free turnover calculator holds the definitions steady and adds replacement-cost estimates; cost per hire completes the picture.
Sources and verification
CIPD churn and sector figures: CIPD analysis of the ONS Annual Population Survey (verified for our turnover calculator and re-checked 31 August 2026). Labour market figures: ONS, Labour market overview, UK: August 2026, verified directly on 31 August 2026. Where a commonly quoted figure has no traceable primary source, we say so rather than repeat it.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average staff turnover rate in the UK?
There is no official average - the ONS publishes no national staff turnover rate. The best verifiable figure is CIPD's analysis of the Annual Population Survey, which puts overall UK churn at 34% - 27.4% moving to another employer and 6.6% leaving the workforce. The widely quoted '15%' has no traceable primary source.
Which UK sectors have the highest staff turnover?
The spread is wide: CIPD's sector analysis ranges from around 25% in public administration and defence to around 52% in hospitality. A company's rate is only meaningful against its own sector and its own trend, not a single national average.
What is a good staff turnover rate?
One that is falling, measured consistently, and low in regretted leavers. Total turnover mixes people you were glad to see go with people you fought to keep - split out voluntary and regretted turnover before judging the number, and benchmark against your own trailing year rather than someone else's survey.
How do I calculate my staff turnover rate?
Leavers in the period divided by average headcount in the period, times 100. Measure voluntary and total separately, and track regretted leavers as its own line - our free turnover calculator does the arithmetic and holds the definitions steady so this quarter compares with last.
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CoDash tracks leavers, regretted attrition and the engagement trend behind them - so the resignation letter is rarely the first signal you get.