At a Glance | March 7, 2019 A Look at Employee Tenure: The Career Job Fallacy and the Impact of Low Unemployment 1 Median Years of Tenure by Gender GENDER TENURES CONVERGE Over the past 35 years, median 6 y r s tenure has stayed at 5.9 approximately five years. 5.5 5.7 5.3 However, this masks material 5.1 5.4 changes in the tenures of men vs. 5.4 5.3 5.0 Men 4.9 4.9 women — which have converged 5 y r s All 5.1 5.0 5.0 5.0 over the decades and now move Women 4.9 4.8 together. 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.7 4.4 4.4 4.3 4.3 4.2 4 y r s 1983 1 987 19 9 1 19 9 6 19 98 20 02 2006 20 10 20 14 20 18 2 “CAREER” JOB FALLACY Percentage of Workers Who Had 25 or More Years of Tenure The data show that, while fewer 25 % 23.3% workers have 25 or more years of 21.6% Age 20.5% tenure now vs. decades ago, even 22.7% 20.1% 20.1% 19.4% 19.3% 19.2% in the early 1980s, "career" 18.7% 20.2% 17.8% 19.9% 60–64 19.8% employees were in the minority. 18.4% 17.9% 55–59 17.5% 17.3% 16.9% 16.6% 15 % 12.9% 12.6% 11.9% 11.7% 11.3% 11.4% 10.6% 9.7% 9.2% 45–54 8.0% 5% 1983 1 987 19 9 1 19 9 6 19 98 20 02 2006 20 10 20 14 20 18 3 LOW UNEMPLOYMENT EQUALS Employee Tenure Distribution LOW TENURE Tenure 10 0 % Consistent with a stronger job 26.9% 26.4% 28.3% 27.1% 27.3% 27.5% 26.7% 29.8% 29.9% 29.9% 10+ Years market, the proportion of workers with shorter tenures has 19.5% 20.1% 20.9% 18.9% 18.6% 18.5% 21.9% increased since 2010. This reflects 21.2% 22.2% 19.5% 5–9 Years more individuals having jobs as 28.9% 27.9% 26.2% 27.2% 31.8% 28.9% well as individuals switching to 30.1% >1–4 29.3% 31.6% 28.2% Years potentially better jobs. 27.4% 25.7% 26.0% 24.8 % 23.1% 22.1% SOURCE: Craig Copeland. “Trends in Employee Tenure, 22.0% 20.5% 1 Year 19.7% 17.4% or Less 1983–2018.” EBRI Issue Brief, no. 474 (Employee Benefit Research Institute, February 28, 2019). 0 % 1. Wage and salary workers (ages 25 or older). 2. Wage and salary workers (ages 45–64). 1983 1 987 19 9 1 19 9 6 19 98 20 02 2006 20 10 20 14 20 18 3. Wage and salary workers (ages 20 or older). © 2019 EBRI