(Bloomberg) -- The Great Resignation improved in most U.S. states in December but worsened in eight, with Alaska, Virginia and Ohio seeing the largest increases in their quits rates.

The quits rate -- or the number of quits as a percent of total employment -- fell in 36 states and the District of Columbia in the final month of 2021, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. Six states saw no change. Meanwhile, the quits rate in Alaska rose 1.6 percentage points at the end of 2021 to 5.5% and jumped 0.7 point to 3.3% in Virginia. 

With a near-record number of job openings nationwide, the number of Americans voluntarily leaving their jobs has surged. Those leaving can often secure a job with better pay, more flexibility or both. The unemployment rate has fallen to 4% nationally, and companies have bid up wages in an attempt to attract and retain employees. 

While all states have struggled with similar issues, the extent of the problem differs by location. Thirty-four states had higher quits rates than the national figure of 2.9% in December. North Carolina, Illinois and Georgia saw the largest decline in the number of people quitting in the month. 

Job openings increased in 33 states at the end of the year, led by a 73,000 surge in Pennsylvania.  

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