According to Bureau of Labor Statistics figures released earlier this month, more people in the United States quit their jobs during April than were fired. In all, approximately 2 million people left jobs voluntarily and 1.75 million were laid off. The last time resignations outnumbered layoffs was at the end of 2008.

Surprising as it may sound, many economists consider all of this quitting to be a good thing: “Especially in a recession,” says Bureau of Labor Statistics economist John Wohlford, “people tend to hang on to jobs. If people start quitting, we can interpret that as workers getting more confident in their ability to get jobs.”