September 24, 2002 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Managers, professionals have highest tenure

In January 2002, managerial and professional specialty workers had the highest median tenure (4.8 years) among the major occupational groups. Within this group, officials and administrators in public administration had a median of 11.3 years.

[Chart data—TXT]

Workers in service occupations had the lowest employee tenure, 2.4 years. Within services, food service workers had the lowest tenure (1.4 years), while protective service workers had the highest (5.1 years). Workers in service occupations tend to be younger than persons employed in managerial and professional specialty occupations.

Employee tenure refers to the number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer and median tenure is the point at which half of the workers had more tenure and half had less tenure.

These data are from a supplement to the Current Population Survey. The questions on tenure measure how long workers had been with their current employer at the time they were surveyed, not how long they will eventually stay with their employer. See Employee Tenure in 2002, news release USDL 02-531 for more information.