Attachment D - Employee Tenure 2020 news release

For release 10:00 a.m. (ET) Tuesday, September 22, 2020

USDL-20-1791

Technical information: [email protected] • www.bls.gov/cps
Media contact:
[email protected] • (202) 691-5902

EMPLOYEE TENURE IN 2020
The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer
was 4.1 years in January 2020, little changed from 4.2 years in January 2018, the U.S. Bureau of
Labor Statistics reported today.
The U.S. Department of Labor's Chief Evaluation Office sponsored the January 2020 survey to
collect information on employee tenure. Since 1996, these surveys have been conducted
biennially in January as a supplement to the Current Population Survey (CPS). The CPS is a
monthly sample survey of about 60,000 households that provides information on the labor force
status of the civilian noninstitutional population age 16 and over. The questions about employee
tenure measure how long workers had been with their current employer at the time of the survey.
A number of factors can affect median tenure of workers, including changes in the age profile
among workers, as well as changes in the number of hires and separations. For further
information about the CPS, see the Technical Note in this news release.
Demographic Characteristics
In January 2020, median employee tenure (the point at which half of all workers had more tenure
and half had less tenure) for men was 4.3 years, unchanged from the median in January 2018.
For women, median tenure was 3.9 years in January 2020, little different from the median of 4.0
years in January 2018. Among men, 29 percent of wage and salary workers had 10 years or more
of tenure with their current employer in January 2020, higher than the figure of 27 percent for
women. (See tables 1 and 3.)
Median employee tenure was generally higher among older workers than younger ones. For
example, the median tenure of workers ages 55 to 64 (9.9 years) was more than three times that
of workers ages 25 to 34 years (2.8 years). Also, a larger proportion of older workers than
younger workers had 10 years or more of tenure. For example, among workers ages 60 to 64, 54
percent had been employed for at least 10 years with their current employer in January 2020,
compared with 10 percent of those ages 30 to 34. (See tables 1 and 2.)
Among the major race and ethnicity groups, 29 percent of Whites had been with their current
employer for 10 years or more in January 2020, compared with 22 percent of Hispanics, 23
percent of Blacks, and 26 percent of Asians. (See table 3.) The longer tenure among Whites can
be explained, in part, by the fact that they tend to be older. Twenty-three percent of White wage

and salary workers were age 55 and over; by comparison, the proportions for Blacks (19
percent), Asians (19 percent), and Hispanics (15 percent) were smaller.
In January 2020, the share of wage and salary workers with a year or less of tenure with their
current employer was 22 percent, unchanged from the proportion in January 2018. This shorttenured group includes new hires, job losers who found new jobs during the previous year, and
workers who had voluntarily changed employers during the year. Younger workers were more
likely than older workers to be short-tenured employees. For example, in January 2020, 75
percent of 16- to 19-year-olds had tenure of 12 months or less with their current employer,
compared with 10 percent of workers ages 55 to 64. (See table 3.)
Among workers age 25 and over, men and women with less than a high school diploma had
lower median tenure in January 2020 than those with more education. The median tenure for
men and women with less than a high school diploma was 4.8 years and 4.1 years, respectively.
College graduates had median tenure of 5.2 years and 4.9 years, respectively. (See table 4.)
Industry
In January 2020, wage and salary workers in the public sector had a median tenure of 6.5 years,
nearly twice the median of 3.7 years for private-sector employees. One factor behind this
difference is age. About 3 in 4 government workers were age 35 and over, compared with about
3 in 5 private wage and salary workers. Federal employees had a higher median tenure (8.2
years) than state (5.6 years) or local government (6.6 years) employees. (See table 5.)
Within the private sector, workers in manufacturing had the highest tenure among major
industries at 5.1 years in January 2020. In contrast, workers in leisure and hospitality had the
lowest median tenure (2.3 years). These differences in tenure reflect many factors, one of which
is varying age distributions across the industries; workers in manufacturing tend to be older than
those in leisure and hospitality.
Occupation
Among the major occupations, workers in management, professional, and related occupations
had the highest median tenure (4.9 years) in January 2020. Within this group, employees with
jobs in management occupations (5.8 years), legal occupations (5.8 years), architecture and
engineering occupations (5.1 years), and educational, training, and library occupations (5.0
years) had the longest tenure. Workers in service occupations, who are generally younger than
persons employed in management, professional, and related occupations, had the lowest median
tenure (2.9 years). Among employees working in service occupations, food service workers had
the lowest median tenure at 1.9 years. (See table 6.)

-2-

Technical Note
The data in this release were collected through a
supplement to the January 2020 Current Population Survey
(CPS). The CPS, which is conducted by the U.S. Census
Bureau for the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), is a monthly
survey of about 60,000 eligible households that provides
information on the labor force status, demographics, and
other characteristics of the nation's civilian noninstitutional
population age 16 and over.
The January 2020 CPS supplement, which was
sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, obtained
information on worker displacement and workers' tenure with
their current employer. The data on worker displacement are
online
at
https://www.bls.gov/cps/lfcharacteristics.htm#displaced .
Updated population controls for the CPS are introduced
annually with the release of the January data. Additional
information about population controls is available on the BLS
website at https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#pop .
Information in this release will be made available to
sensory-impaired individuals upon request. Voice phone:
(202) 691-5200, Federal Relay Service: (800) 877-8339.

Wage and salary workers receive wages, salaries,
commissions, tips, payment in kind, or piece rates. The group
includes employees in both the private and public sectors but
excludes all self-employed persons, both those with
incorporated businesses and those with unincorporated
businesses.
In the CPS supplement, questions on tenure were asked
of all employed persons. The main question was: "How long
has ... been working continuously for (fill in name of present
employer)?"
_____ Days
_____ Weeks
_____ Months
_____ Years

Reliability of the estimates
Statistics based on the CPS are subject to both sampling
and nonsampling error. When a sample, rather than the entire
population, is surveyed, there is a chance that the sample
estimates may differ from the true population values they
represent. The component of this difference that occurs
because samples differ by chance is known as sampling
error, and its variability is measured by the standard error of
the estimate. There is about a 90-percent chance, or level of
confidence, that an estimate based on a sample will differ by
no more than 1.6 standard errors from the true population
value because of sampling error. BLS analyses are generally
conducted at the 90-percent level of confidence.
The CPS data also are affected by nonsampling error.
Nonsampling error can occur for many reasons, including the
failure to sample a segment of the population, inability to
obtain information for all respondents in the sample, inability
or unwillingness of respondents to provide correct
information, and errors made in the collection or processing
of the data.
A full discussion of the reliability of data from the CPS
and information on estimating standard errors is available at
https://www.bls.gov/cps/documentation.htm#reliability .

For responses of "1 year" or "2 years," a follow-up question
was asked: "Could you please give the exact number of
months?"
The purpose of the follow-up question is to obtain more
precise information on workers who had been with their
current employer for a relatively short time. This follow-up
question was included for the first time in the February 1996
CPS supplement on worker displacement and tenure. CPS
supplements that obtained information on tenure in January
of 1983, 1987, and 1991 did not include the follow-up
question. In those surveys, responses of 1 year or more could
be coded only as the nearest full year, and responses of less
than a year were coded as the nearest full month. Currently,
the 2-year category includes 24 to 29 months, and the 3-year
category includes 2.5 to 3.5 years.
Prior to January 1983, CPS supplements on tenure
asked wage and salary workers, "When did ... start working at
(his/her) present job?" For wage and salary workers, the
meaning of the term "job" is ambiguous. For example, a
worker who had been employed at a particular company for
10 years and had been promoted to a managerial position 1
year prior to the survey may have been counted as having 10
years or 1 year of tenure, depending on whether the
respondent interpreted the question to mean tenure with the
current employer or tenure in the managerial position. To
rectify this ambiguity, the wording of the question was
changed in January 1983 to specify the length of time a
worker had been with his or her current employer. The
change resulted in a break in historical comparability.

Tenure concepts and questions
Employee tenure is a measure of how long wage and
salary workers had been with their current employer at the
time of the survey. Many of the estimates shown in this report
are medians; the median is the point at which half of all
workers had more tenure and half had less tenure. Data refer
to the sole or principal job of full- and part-time workers.

Interpreting tenure data
Data on tenure have been used as a gauge of
employment security, with some observers regarding
increases in tenure as a sign of improving security and
decreasing tenure as a sign of deteriorating security.
However, there are limitations to using the data in this way.
For example, during recessions or other periods of declining

job security, median tenure and the proportion of workers
with long tenure could rise if less-senior workers are more
likely to lose their jobs than are workers with longer tenure.
During periods of economic growth, median tenure and the
proportion of workers with long tenure could fall if more job
opportunities are available for new entrants to the workforce
and experienced workers have more opportunities to change
employers and take better jobs. Tenure also could

rise under improving economic conditions, however, as fewer
layoffs occur and good job matches develop between workers
and employers.
A changing age distribution among workers would also
affect median tenure. Since older workers are more likely to
have long tenure with their current employer than younger
workers, aging baby boomers in the workforce would provide
upward pressure on overall median tenure.

Table 1. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by age and sex,
selected years, 2010-2020
Age and sex
Total
16 years and over
16 to 17 years
18 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 years and over
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years and over
Men
16 years and over
16 to 17 years
18 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 years and over
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years and over
Women
16 years and over
16 to 17 years
18 to 19 years
20 to 24 years
25 years and over
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years and over

January
2010

January
2012

January
2014

January
2016

January
2018

January
2020

4.4
0.7
1.0
1.5
5.2
3.1
5.1
7.8
10.0
9.9

4.6
0.7
0.8
1.3
5.4
3.2
5.3
7.8
10.3
10.3

4.6
0.7
0.8
1.3
5.5
3.0
5.2
7.9
10.4
10.3

4.2
0.6
0.8
1.3
5.1
2.8
4.9
7.9
10.1
10.3

4.2
0.6
0.8
1.2
5.0
2.8
4.9
7.6
10.1
10.2

4.1
0.7
0.8
1.3
4.9
2.8
4.9
7.5
9.9
10.3

4.6
0.7
1.0
1.6
5.3
3.2
5.3
8.5
10.4
9.7

4.7
0.6
0.8
1.4
5.5
3.2
5.4
8.5
10.7
10.2

4.7
0.7
0.9
1.4
5.5
3.1
5.4
8.2
10.7
10.0

4.3
0.6
0.8
1.3
5.2
2.9
5.0
8.4
10.2
10.2

4.3
0.5
0.8
1.3
5.1
2.9
5.0
8.1
10.2
10.2

4.3
0.7
0.8
1.4
5.1
2.9
5.1
8.2
10.0
10.3

4.2
0.7
1.0
1.5
5.1
3.0
4.9
7.1
9.7
10.1

4.6
0.7
0.8
1.3
5.4
3.1
5.2
7.3
10.0
10.5

4.5
0.7
0.8
1.3
5.4
2.9
5.1
7.6
10.2
10.5

4.0
0.6
0.8
1.2
5.0
2.6
4.8
7.5
10.0
10.4

4.0
0.7
0.8
1.2
4.9
2.7
4.7
7.1
10.1
10.1

3.9
0.7
0.8
1.2
4.8
2.7
4.6
6.8
9.8
10.4

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Dash indicates no data or data that do not
meet publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).

Table 2. Percent of employed wage and salary workers 25 years and over who had 10 years or more of tenure with their
current employer by age and sex, selected years, 2010-2020
Age and sex

January
2010

January
2012

January
2014

January
2016

January
2018

January
2020

Total
25 years and over
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 years and over

33.1
2.3
12.8
25.7
35.3
40.8
48.9
52.4
54.5
53.1

33.7
2.5
12.5
25.2
35.1
41.6
48.4
54.1
55.1
55.5

33.3
2.5
12.3
24.4
33.1
41.6
48.1
53.3
58.0
55.0

33.2
2.6
12.5
24.4
34.3
41.8
48.0
53.0
54.7
55.3

33.2
2.1
12.1
25.7
34.4
42.8
47.1
52.5
56.5
54.4

32.2
1.6
9.9
24.7
33.8
42.3
47.3
51.0
54.0
55.4

34.3
3.1
14.3
27.2
37.5
43.7
51.3
53.6
56.8
51.9

34.6
2.6
13.2
25.7
36.9
44.8
51.4
55.7
56.2
55.5

34.0
2.9
13.3
25.9
34.5
43.8
49.9
53.8
59.1
53.1

33.8
3.4
13.2
25.1
34.8
44.4
50.4
53.4
55.5
54.6

33.8
2.4
13.0
26.5
36.9
45.1
48.7
53.2
54.7
55.4

33.1
2.0
10.7
26.1
36.0
44.7
48.9
51.2
55.4
54.7

31.9
1.6
11.1
24.0
32.9
38.0
46.5
51.2
52.2
54.3

32.8
2.3
11.8
24.7
33.2
38.3
45.5
52.6
54.0
55.6

32.6
2.1
11.1
22.7
31.5
39.4
46.3
52.8
56.9
56.9

32.6
1.7
11.7
23.7
33.8
39.1
45.6
52.6
53.9
55.9

32.5
1.8
11.0
24.8
31.7
40.4
45.5
51.7
58.2
53.4

31.2
1.3
8.9
23.1
31.6
39.8
45.7
50.8
52.6
56.2

Men
25 years and over
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 years and over
Women
25 years and over
25 to 29 years
30 to 34 years
35 to 39 years
40 to 44 years
45 to 49 years
50 to 54 years
55 to 59 years
60 to 64 years
65 years and over

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet
publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).

Table 3. Distribution of employed wage and salary workers by tenure with current employer, age, sex, race, and Hispanic or Latino
ethnicity, January 2020
Percent distribution by tenure with current employer

Age, sex, race, and
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity

Total
16 years and over
16 to 19 years
20 years and over
20 to 24 years
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years and over
Men
16 years and over
16 to 19 years
20 years and over
20 to 24 years
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years and over
Women
16 years and over
16 to 19 years
20 years and over
20 to 24 years
25 to 34 years
35 to 44 years
45 to 54 years
55 to 64 years
65 years and over
White
16 years and over
Men
Women
Black or African American
16 years and over
Men
Women
Asian
16 years and over
Men
Women
Hispanic or Latino ethnicity
16 years and over
Men
Women

Number employed
(in thousands)

Total

12
months
or less

13 to 23
months

2 years

3 to 4
years

5 to 9
years

10 to 14
years

15 to 19
years

20 years
or more

141,374
4,792
136,581
13,514
34,141
30,001
27,932
23,027
7,966

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

22.2
74.9
20.4
50.8
27.6
16.9
12.7
9.7
9.0

7.0
11.3
6.8
13.5
9.5
5.9
4.6
4.0
3.5

5.7
7.7
5.6
10.8
7.9
4.9
3.5
3.3
3.6

17.8
5.8
18.3
20.2
26.4
18.6
13.6
12.7
11.2

19.3
0.3
19.9
4.6
23.0
24.7
20.7
18.1
17.4

10.6
11.0
5.0
16.2
14.8
13.5
14.8

6.6
6.8
0.7
8.8
11.4
10.6
10.6

10.8
11.2
4.0
18.6
28.2
30.0

72,676
2,310
70,366
6,870
17,795
15,649
14,321
11,646
4,085

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

21.2
73.8
19.5
48.5
25.9
15.9
12.0
9.8
9.7

6.6
11.2
6.4
13.6
9.0
5.3
4.3
3.9
3.0

5.6
7.6
5.6
11.3
7.8
5.0
3.5
2.9
3.1

18.0
7.3
18.3
21.8
27.0
17.7
13.1
12.4
11.9

19.7
20.3
4.8
23.9
25.4
20.3
18.1
17.6

10.6
11.0
0.1
5.5
16.6
14.6
12.4
14.2

6.7
6.9
0.8
9.3
11.3
10.4
10.1

11.7
12.1
4.8
20.8
30.2
30.4

68,697
2,482
66,215
6,644
16,346
14,352
13,612
11,381
3,881

100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0
100.0

23.3
76.0
21.4
53.2
29.4
17.9
13.5
9.5
8.2

7.4
11.5
7.2
13.5
10.1
6.7
4.9
4.1
4.0

5.7
7.7
5.6
10.3
8.0
4.7
3.5
3.7
4.1

17.7
4.3
18.2
18.6
25.7
19.5
14.1
13.0
10.4

18.8
0.5
19.5
4.4
21.9
24.0
21.2
18.2
17.2

10.6
11.0
4.4
15.7
15.0
14.7
15.4

6.6
6.8
0.5
8.4
11.5
10.7
11.2

9.9
10.3
3.1
16.4
26.1
29.6

109,188
56,942
52,247

100.0
100.0
100.0

21.5
20.6
22.6

7.0
6.5
7.5

5.4
5.4
5.4

17.3
17.3
17.4

19.5
19.9
19.1

10.7
10.6
10.8

6.8
7.0
6.7

11.7
12.8
10.5

17,353
8,039
9,315

100.0
100.0
100.0

25.8
25.3
26.3

6.4
6.5
6.4

6.4
6.4
6.4

20.1
21.5
18.9

17.9
17.3
18.4

9.2
9.3
9.1

5.6
5.3
5.9

8.5
8.4
8.6

9,321
4,886
4,435

100.0
100.0
100.0

19.5
18.5
20.7

7.4
7.6
7.2

6.8
5.8
8.0

19.4
19.9
18.7

20.8
22.1
19.5

12.1
12.3
12.0

7.0
7.0
7.0

7.0
6.9
7.0

25,806
14,242
11,564

100.0
100.0
100.0

25.5
24.6
26.6

6.2
5.1
7.4

6.8
6.7
7.0

20.0
19.6
20.5

19.3
20.6
17.8

9.8
10.4
9.2

5.4
5.6
5.0

7.0
7.4
6.5

NOTE: Detail for the above race groups (White, Black or African American, and Asian) do not sum to totals because data are not presented for all races. Persons
whose ethnicity is identified as Hispanic or Latino may be of any race. Because of rounding, sums of individual items may not equal totals. Updated population
controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet publication criteria (values not shown where
base is less than 75,000).

Table 4. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers 25 years and over by
educational attainment, sex, and age, January 2020
25 years and over

Educational attainment and sex

25 to 34
years

Total

35 to 44
years

45 to 54
years

55 to 64
years

65 years and
over

Total
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college
Some college, no degree
Associate degree
College graduates
Bachelor's degree only
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree

4.9
4.6
5.0
4.7
5.0
5.0
4.8
5.4
5.5

2.8
2.7
2.8
2.7
2.9
2.8
2.9
3.0
2.0

4.9
4.3
4.7
4.8
4.7
5.2
5.2
5.2
5.1

7.5
5.3
6.7
6.9
7.4
8.7
8.0
9.1
10.7

9.9
7.4
10.2
9.8
10.4
9.7
9.4
10.2
10.3

10.3
9.6
10.3
10.1
10.2
10.8
10.1
10.9
14.7

Men
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college
Some college, no degree
Associate degree
College graduates
Bachelor's degree only
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree

5.1
4.8
5.1
4.9
5.1
5.2
5.0
5.6
6.2

2.9
2.8
3.0
2.8
3.1
2.9
2.9
3.1
2.2

5.1
4.7
4.9
5.1
5.2
5.4
5.6
5.1
5.3

8.2
5.5
7.0
8.7
8.3
9.6
9.0
9.9
11.1

10.0
9.5
10.5
9.9
11.2
9.5
9.2
9.6
10.2

10.3
9.1
9.6
10.0
9.6
11.6
11.0
11.3
14.7

Women
Less than a high school diploma
High school graduates, no college
Some college, no degree
Associate degree
College graduates
Bachelor's degree only
Master's degree
Doctoral or professional degree

4.8
4.1
4.9
4.4
4.9
4.9
4.6
5.3
5.1

2.7
2.6
2.4
2.6
2.7
2.8
2.9
2.8
1.9

4.6
3.4
4.4
4.5
4.2
5.0
4.8
5.2
5.0

6.8
5.0
6.2
5.2
6.6
7.9
7.2
8.4
10.4

9.8
5.4
9.9
9.6
10.2
9.9
9.5
10.8
10.3

10.4
10.0
11.6
10.2
11.1
10.2
9.5
10.5
14.8

NOTE: Updated population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data. Dash indicates no data or data that do not meet
publication criteria (values not shown where base is less than 75,000).

Table 5. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by industry, selected years,
2010-2020
Industry

Total, 16 years and over
Private sector
Agriculture and related industries
Nonagricultural industries
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
Construction
Manufacturing
Durable goods manufacturing
Nonmetallic mineral products
Primary metals and fabricated metal products
Machinery manufacturing
Computers and electronic products
Electrical equipment and appliances
Transportation equipment
Wood products
Furniture and related product manufacturing
Miscellaneous manufacturing
Nondurable goods manufacturing
Food manufacturing
Beverages and tobacco products
Textiles, apparel, and leather
Paper and printing
Petroleum and coal products
Chemicals
Plastics and rubber products
Wholesale and retail trade
Wholesale trade
Retail trade
Transportation and utilities
Transportation and warehousing
Utilities
Information¹
Publishing, except Internet
Motion pictures and sound recording industries
Radio and television broadcasting and cable
subscriptions programming²
Telecommunications²
Financial activities
Finance and insurance
Finance
Insurance
Real estate and rental and leasing
Real estate
Rental and leasing services
Professional and business services
Professional and technical services
Management, administrative, and waste services¹
Administrative and support services
Waste management and remediation services
Education and health services
Educational services
Health care and social assistance
Hospitals
Health services, except hospitals
Social assistance
See footnotes at end of table.

January
2010

January
2012

January
2014

January
2016

January
2018

January
2020

4.4
4.0
4.8
4.0
4.8
4.2
6.1
6.6
7.7
7.2
8.3
5.9
5.0
8.3
4.7
5.0
5.4
5.5
4.7
8.1
4.7
6.8
5.1
7.3
7.4
3.6
5.2
3.3
5.3
5.0
9.1
5.0
5.6
3.8

4.6
4.2
4.1
4.2
3.5
4.3
6.0
6.1
7.0
5.6
5.4
7.7
5.9
7.1
5.3
6.5
4.8
5.8
4.9
6.4
4.3
9.7
6.4
6.1
6.1
3.7
5.5
3.3
5.6
5.3
9.5
5.4
6.6
2.6

4.6
4.1
3.6
4.1
4.0
3.9
5.9
6.0
7.6
6.1
6.2
5.1
5.8
7.1
4.6
5.9
5.1
5.9
4.7
4.8
5.3
9.7
6.1
7.1
6.5
3.6
5.8
3.3
5.1
4.7
9.2
4.8
5.3
2.4

4.2
3.7
4.5
3.7
4.6
4.0
5.3
5.4
5.1
6.0
5.5
5.3
4.7
6.1
4.7
4.8
5.0
5.1
4.5
4.3
5.6
5.3
6.6
5.3
5.3
3.3
5.2
3.0
4.6
4.4
7.4
4.3
5.7
2.4

4.2
3.8
4.6
3.8
5.1
4.1
5.0
5.3
5.2
6.0
5.7
5.8
4.5
5.7
3.5
4.8
4.8
4.7
3.9
4.1
5.0
5.4
5.0
4.7
5.0
3.2
5.1
3.0
4.8
4.2
9.5
4.4
4.1
2.9

4.1
3.7
3.5
3.7
4.6
4.0
5.1
5.3
5.2
5.4
5.3
6.1
4.5
5.5
3.9
5.5
4.7
4.8
4.2
3.9
5.0
5.9
5.7
5.2
4.5
3.3
5.0
3.1
4.3
3.9
7.7
4.2
5.4
2.7

4.3

4.9

4.1

3.6

5.0

5.3

6.6
4.6
4.8
4.5
5.5
3.9
4.1
3.3
3.4
4.0
2.9
2.8
2.9
4.1
4.4
4.1
5.3
3.6
3.1

7.4
4.9
5.0
4.7
5.7
4.5
4.5
4.2
3.8
4.4
3.1
3.0
4.4
4.4
4.3
4.4
6.0
3.8
3.1

7.8
5.0
5.3
5.0
6.0
4.4
4.6
3.5
3.6
4.2
3.1
3.0
4.7
4.5
4.8
4.4
5.7
3.9
3.2

6.0
4.8
5.0
5.0
5.2
3.8
3.9
3.4
3.4
3.9
2.8
2.6
4.6
3.9
4.0
3.9
5.6
3.4
2.6

5.2
4.7
5.0
4.8
5.4
3.6
3.7
3.4
3.6
3.9
3.3
3.1
5.8
3.9
4.2
3.9
4.9
3.5
3.0

6.6
4.8
4.9
4.8
5.0
4.6
4.7
3.8
3.5
3.9
2.9
2.8
5.3
3.8
3.9
3.8
5.0
3.4
2.9

Table 5. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by industry, selected years,
2010-2020 -- Continued
Industry
Leisure and hospitality
Arts, entertainment, and recreation
Accommodation and food services
Accommodation
Food services and drinking places
Other services
Other services, except private households
Repair and maintenance
Personal and laundry services
Membership associations and organizations
Other services, private households
Public sector
Federal government
State government
Local government

January
2010

January
2012

January
2014

January
2016

January
2018

January
2020

2.5
3.3
2.3
3.3
2.2
4.0
4.1
4.0
3.5
4.5
3.4

2.4
3.1
2.3
3.8
2.1
3.8
3.8
3.7
3.5
4.3
3.3

2.3
3.0
2.1
3.5
2.0
4.0
4.2
4.0
3.7
4.9
3.0

2.2
3.2
2.0
3.0
1.8
3.9
4.1
3.5
3.8
4.9
3.3

2.2
3.0
2.1
3.1
2.0
4.0
3.9
3.3
3.6
4.5
4.5

2.3
3.3
2.1
3.2
2.0
4.1
4.1
3.3
3.8
4.8
4.0

7.2
7.9
6.4
7.5

7.8
9.5
6.4
8.1

7.8
8.5
7.4
7.9

7.7
8.8
5.8
8.3

6.8
8.3
5.9
6.9

6.5
8.2
5.6
6.6

¹Includes other industries, not shown separately.
²Data for these industries are not directly comparable over time due to industry classification changes in 2003 and 2009.
NOTE: Beginning with data for January 2020, industries reflect the introduction of the 2017 Census industry classification system into the Current
Population Survey. This industry classification system is derived from the 2017 North American Industry Classification System (NAICS). No historical
data have been revised. Tenure data for 2014-2018 use the 2012 Census industry classification system, derived from the 2012 NAICS. Updated
population controls are introduced annually with the release of January data.

Table 6. Median years of tenure with current employer for employed wage and salary workers by occupation, selected years,
2010-2020
Occupation

January
2010

January
2012

January
2014

January
2016

January
2018

January
2020

Total, 16 years and over

4.4

4.6

4.6

4.2

4.2

4.1

Management, professional, and related occupations
Management, business, and financial operations occupations
Management occupations
Business and financial operations occupations
Professional and related occupations
Computer and mathematical occupations
Architecture and engineering occupations
Life, physical, and social science occupations
Community and social service occupations
Legal occupations
Education, training, and library occupations
Arts, design, entertainment, sports, and media occupations
Healthcare practitioners and technical occupations

5.2
5.4
6.1
4.6
5.0
4.8
5.7
4.6
4.6
4.6
5.6
3.9
4.8

5.5
5.9
6.3
5.2
5.4
4.8
7.0
5.3
5.0
5.4
5.9
4.2
5.2

5.7
6.3
6.9
5.0
5.3
5.0
6.4
5.0
5.1
5.4
6.2
3.4
5.2

5.1
5.5
6.3
4.6
4.9
4.4
5.5
4.9
4.3
5.5
5.3
3.8
4.8

5.0
5.5
6.4
4.5
4.7
4.3
5.7
4.8
4.6
5.1
5.1
3.9
4.3

4.9
5.3
5.8
4.7
4.6
3.9
5.1
4.1
4.6
5.8
5.0
3.4
4.7

Service occupations
Healthcare support occupations
Protective service occupations
Food preparation and serving related occupations
Building and grounds cleaning and maintenance occupations
Personal care and service occupations

3.1
3.3
5.0
2.3
4.1
2.9

3.2
3.3
6.4
2.3
4.0
3.0

3.3
3.5
6.5
2.2
4.3
2.9

2.9
3.1
6.2
1.9
3.8
2.9

2.9
3.0
5.0
1.9
4.1
3.0

2.9
2.8
5.3
1.9
4.0
3.1

Sales and office occupations
Sales and related occupations
Office and administrative support occupations

4.1
3.4
4.7

4.2
3.4
4.8

4.0
3.4
4.6

3.5
3.1
4.0

3.5
3.2
3.8

3.7
3.3
4.1

Natural resources, construction, and maintenance occupations
Farming, fishing, and forestry occupations
Construction and extraction occupations
Installation, maintenance, and repair occupations

4.7
4.2
4.1
5.7

4.7
3.9
4.3
5.3

4.4
3.2
3.7
5.4

4.5
4.1
4.2
5.2

4.5
4.0
4.2
5.1

4.2
3.5
4.0
4.7

Production, transportation, and material moving occupations
Production occupations
Transportation and material moving occupations

4.6
5.3
4.0

4.8
5.3
4.3

4.5
5.2
3.8

4.3
4.7
3.9

4.0
4.4
3.5

3.8
4.9
3.3

NOTE: Beginning with data for January 2020, occupations reflect the introduction of the 2018 Census occupational classification system into the Current
Population Survey. This classification system is derived from the 2018 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC). No historical data have been
revised. Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with earlier years. Tenure data for 2012-2018 use the 2010 Census occupational classification
system, derived from the 2010 SOC. Data for 2020 are not strictly comparable with other years. Updated population controls are introduced annually
with the release of January data.