This Fast Fact builds on recent EBRI research that examined employee tenure data of American workers. Utilizing the January 2025 Supplement to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey, it includes new research that compares the employee tenures of White, Black, and Hispanic workers from 2016–2024.
Figure 3 Percentage of Wage and Salary Workers Ages 25 or Older Who Had 10 or More Years of Tenure, by Race/Ethnicity, 2016 –2024 Distribution of Tenure 50% White Black Hispanic Diversity, E quity, and Inclusion Council 45% Black and Hispanic workers were more likely to have the shortest tenures (one year or less). In 2024, 21.8 percent May 29, 2025, #534 of Black workers and 19.4 percent of Hispanic workers had tenures of one year or less, compared with 15.7 40% 36.5% 36.7% percent of White workers (Figure 2). These 2024 percentages remained above their 2018 levels but are below the 35.4% 34.4% 33.4% 35% 2022 levels. Looking at the longest tenures, White workers had the highest percentage with 20 or more years of 29.6% tenure at 13.6 percent vs. 9.1 percent for Black workers and 8.2 percent for Hispanic workers in 2024. The highest 28.6% 30% 27.6% 27.1% tenure percentages were also larger than their 2018 levels except for White workers, but they were be 26.0% low their Employee Tenure: A Look by Race/Ethnicity, 2024 2022 25%levels for each group. Workers of each race/ethnicity saw their share with more than one year to two years 27.1% 26.6% 26.3% 25.0% 24.7% of tenure increase the most of any of the tenure categories in 2024. A r 20 ec %ent Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) Issue Brief examined employee tenure data of American 1 workers. However, the research did not look at tenure differences by the race/ethnicity of the workers. This Fast 15% Fact uses the January Supplement to the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey (CPS) to compare the 2 employee tenures of White, Black, and Hispanic workers from 2016–2024. 10% Figure 2 Employee Tenure Distribution: All Wage and Salary Workers (Ages 25 5% Median Tenure or Older), by Race/Ethnicity 2018 –2024 0% 20 or More Y 2016 ears 10 –19 Yea 20r18 s 5 –9 Years 2020 3 –4 Years 20 >1 22 –2 Years 1 Yea 20 r or Le 24 ss The median tenure for all wage and salary workers ages 25 or older in 2024 was 4.8 years, compared with 5.1 100% Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute estimates from the January 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 Current Population Surveys. years in 2016. White workers’ median tenure was longer in 2024 at 5.9 years, while the median tenure of both 7.8% 8.3% 8.2% 8.9% 8.5% 9.1% 9.8% 10.5% Black and Hispanic workers was shorter at 4.5 years and 4.7 years, respectively (Figure 1). The median tenures of 13.6% 14.1% 14.8% 14.6% 90% White and Black workers in 2024 were below their tenure levels in 2016, while Hispanic workers’ median tenure Conclusion 16.4% 15.6% 17.7% was the same in 2016 and 19.3% 2024. In 2024, Hispani 1c 8.3 w %orkers’ median tenure surpassed that of Black workers, while 17.3% 19.7% 17.1% 80% White workers’ median tenure remained the longest. 19.8% 19.8% Although tenure is not a good me 20.6% asure of job security, it does provide insight into how long workers choose to or 22.6% 70% a re allowed to remain with their current employers. When unemployment remained high from 2009–2012, tenure 21.8% levels were generally increasing. However, with the low unemployment rates and increased quit rates from 2020– 20.2% 24.2% 22.7% 22.4% 20.0% 22.5% 20.0% 60% 2022, tenure trended downward. Thus, given the ups and downs in median tenure, workers are likely to be faced Figure 1 22.3% 21.8% 21.4% 20.9% w ith many decision points throughout their working careers about their retirement benefits, as workers will most 50% Median Years of Tenure for Wage and Salary Workers (Ages 25 or l ikely not be with one company their entire career. This is even more likely for Black and Hispanic workers, since 18.9% Older), by Race/Ethnicity, 2016 –2024 20.0% 19.6% 17.5% 18.9% 18.6% 19.3% t hey are less likely to have 19.0% the highest tenures and will have more instances where a decision to withdraw or not 40% 7.5 15.0% 15.9% 15.3% White Black Hispanic w ithdraw 1a 5ss .2% ets from retirement plans will occur. As a result, employers and benefits providers need to account 7.0 30% f or these job changes when designing retirement plans and participant education programs. 9.8% 12.9% 12.7% 11.4% 14.5% 12.7% 12.1% 6.5 12.6% 10.6% 6.0 6.0 13.7% 12.3% 11.8% 5.9 20% 6.0 A bout EBRI: The Employee Benefit Research Institute is a private, nonpartisan, and nonprofit research institute based in Washington, D.C., that focuses on health, savings, retirement, and economic security issues. EBRI does 5.5 23.1% 21.8% 10% 21.0% 5.0 19.8% 20.1% 19.7% 5.0 5.0 19.4% 18.9% 17.3% 15.7% 15.5% 15.6% not lobby and does not take policy positions. The work of EBRI is made possible by funding from its members 4.7 5.0 4.6 4.5 4.5 and sponsors, which include a broad range of public and private organizations. For more information, visit 0% 4.5 4.7 White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic White Black Hispanic www.ebri.org. 4.5 4.5 4.5 4.0 4.3 2018 2020 2022 2024 3.5 Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute estimates from the January 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 Current Population Surveys. 3.0 Endnotes 2.5 1 Cop 2.e 0land, Craig and Samita Thephasit. “Trends in Employee Tenure, 1983–2024.” EBRI Issue Brief, no. 632 (Employee Benefit Research Institute, March 27, 2025). Available at https://www.ebri.org/publications/research-publications/issue- 1.5 briefs/content/trends-in-employee-tenure--1983-2024. Tenure of 10 or More Years 1.0 2 0.5 The data come from the January 2016–2024 Supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS), a monthly survey of Corresponding with White workers having the largest share of workers with 20 or more years of tenure, they also 0.0 approximately 60,000 households on demographics, labor force status, and other characteristics of the civilian, 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 had the highest percentage with 10 or more years at 33.4 percent in 2024 (Figure 3). This compares with 24.7 noninstitutionalized American population. The U.S. Census Bureau conducts this CPS supplement for the U.S. Department of percent of Black workers and 26.0 percent of Hispanic workers having this tenure level. The percentages with 10 Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The race/ethnicity categories are determined by the self-identified responses to the Source: Employee Benefit Research Institute estimates from the January 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024 Current Population Surveys. or more years of tenure have trended down among Black and White workers since 2016, but the percentages race and ethnicity questions in CPS and include White, non-Hispanic; Black/African American; and Hispanic. The remaining a ra m ce ong s/ethn Hiic spa itieni s n cot w de orf ke ine rs d ha in ve the be thre en e rpri ela or ti ve cal te y gor flait e s a,nd su,c h in a2024 s Asia , ns ur Am pa ess ricead ns the and pe thos rcee nt w age ho ia de mn ong tify B asl a m cul k tw ira or cike al,r a s re not analyzed due to the limited number of observations of these individuals in the data. All workers indicating that they have for the first time since 2016. a Hispanic origin are only included in the Hispanic worker category. © 2025, Employee Benefit Research Institute, 901 D St. SW, Suite 802, Washington, DC 20024, 202/659-0670 | ebri.org 3 2 Median Years With Current Employer