Employee Attrition Rate Calculator: Departures Over Headcount
Work out an employee attrition rate — the headline retention metric that decides whether HR has a recruiting problem, a retention problem, or both.
Adjust the inputs and select Calculate for a full breakdown.
Compare Common Scenarios
How the numbers shift across typical situations for this calculator:
| Scenario | Attrition rate | Retention rate |
|---|---|---|
| 40 of 400 left | 10.00% | 90.00% |
| 15 of 100 left | 15.00% | 85.00% |
| 200 of 2,000 left | 10.00% | 90.00% |
| 8 of 320 left | 2.50% | 97.50% |
How This Calculator Works
Enter departures and average headcount during the same period. The calculator divides one by the other and multiplies by 100 to give the attrition rate, with the retention rate shown alongside. By default, voluntary and involuntary departures are combined — separate them if you want a pure voluntary-turnover figure.
The Formula
Part as a Percentage of a Whole
Part is the portion, Whole is the total it belongs to
Worked Example
A company losing 40 employees from an average headcount of 400 runs at 10% annual attrition, with 90% retention. US benchmarks vary widely by industry: tech and retail often run 15% to 25%; healthcare, government, and unionized industries sit far lower at 5% to 10%.
Key Insight
Attrition rate is most useful split into voluntary and involuntary. Voluntary attrition signals retention problems (compensation, management, growth opportunities); involuntary signals performance or restructuring decisions. A 10% headline rate with 8% voluntary departures is a very different story than 10% with 8% involuntary — and the response should be different too.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is attrition rate calculated?
Divide departures by average headcount over the same period, then multiply by 100. 40 departures from a 400-person average headcount is a 10% attrition rate.
Voluntary or involuntary — which to count?
Most HR teams track voluntary attrition separately because it signals retention problems. Total attrition (voluntary + involuntary) is what investors and benchmarks usually compare against — both useful, in different contexts.
What is a good attrition rate?
Varies by industry. Tech and retail commonly run 15% to 25% annual. Healthcare, government, and unionized industries often 5% to 10%. Compare against same-industry peers, not cross-industry averages.
How is this different from turnover?
Used interchangeably in most contexts. Some HR frameworks reserve 'turnover' for total departures and 'attrition' for departures the company chose not to backfill — the distinction matters for layoff or restructuring reporting.
How can a company reduce attrition?
Address the actual reasons people leave — usually compensation, management, growth opportunities, or work-life balance. Exit interview data and stay interviews surface the local causes; cookie-cutter retention programs rarely move the rate.
Related Calculators
Methodology & Review
The attrition rate is departures divided by average headcount over the period, multiplied by 100. The complement is the retention rate. Voluntary and involuntary departures are bundled by default — separate them if you want a true 'voluntary turnover' figure, which is what HR teams typically track.
Written by Ugo Candido · Last updated May 17, 2026.