In 2021, full-time store associate turnover was 118.8%, and part-time associate turnover jumped to 181.6%, according to the NACS State of the Industry Compensation Report of 2021 Data. Both of these turnover rates represent significant increases from the prior year and reflect a year which coined the phrase “the Great Resignation.” 

A deeper look into the data, however, shows a shift in the ratio of voluntary to involuntary turnover. While voluntary resignations increased in many c-store roles over the previous year, a more concerning metric is the decline of involuntary turnover for many hourly positions in comparison to 2020. 

This trend may prove problematic for many operators in terms of cultural morale, which can deteriorate when underperforming employees are not terminated and other employees are forced to pick up the slack. Some managers may be reluctant to fire problematic employees for fear of not being able to hire and train replacements. At the manager level, total turnover for store managers increased to 28.0% and assistant store manager turnover climbed to 50.6%.

Source: NACS State of the Industry Compensation Report of 2021 Data