Employee Turnover Rate Calculator
Enter your headcount at the start and end of the period and how many people left. See turnover rate, retention rate, and the annualized figure instantly.
Turnover = leavers ÷ average headcount. Annualized figure scales a yearly rate to a full year for comparison.
New to this? Read: how to calculate turnover rate →
Advertisement
How to calculate employee turnover rate
Turnover rate is the share of your workforce that leaves over a given period. It is one of the clearest signals of how well an organization keeps its people, and it feeds directly into hiring costs and team stability.
The formula has three steps:
- Average headcount = (start of period + end of period) ÷ 2
- Turnover rate = (employees who left ÷ average headcount) × 100
- Retention rate = ((start − left) ÷ start) × 100
A worked example
Imagine a team that began the year with 120 people, ended with 130, and saw 14 employees leave along the way. Average headcount is (120 + 130) ÷ 2 = 125. Turnover is 14 ÷ 125 = 0.112, or 11.2%. Retention is (120 − 14) ÷ 120 = 88.3%.
Why average headcount matters
Using the average of the start and end counts — rather than just one snapshot — keeps the rate fair when a team is growing or shrinking quickly. A company that doubles in size would otherwise understate or overstate its turnover depending on which number it picked.
Annualizing short periods
If you measure over a month or a quarter, multiply by 12 or 4 to estimate the annual rate. This makes a single month comparable to a yearly benchmark, but remember it assumes the same departure pace holds for the rest of the year — useful for spotting trends, not a guarantee.
Calcento is for general guidance only. Turnover benchmarks vary widely by industry and region.
Frequently asked questions
Divide the number of employees who left during a period by the average headcount for that period, then multiply by 100. Average headcount is the start count plus the end count, divided by two. For example, 14 leavers against an average of 125 employees is 14 ÷ 125 = 11.2% turnover.