August 30, 2000 (The Editor’s Desk is updated each business day.)

Median tenure little changed in recent years

The median number of years that wage and salary workers had been with their current employer (referred to as employee tenure) was 3.5 years in February 2000, about the same as in February 1998.

Median tenure for employed men and women 25 and older, selected years, 1983-2000
[Chart data—TXT]

Although the median years of tenure has been consistently higher for men than for women, the gap has narrowed since the early 1990s. For men, median tenure in February 2000 was unchanged from February 1998. It was, however, slightly lower than in January 1983, despite an upward shift in the age of the male workforce.

For women, the median years of tenure were slightly higher in February 2000, and there also was an upward shift in the age of the female workforce from 1983 to 2000.

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 2000, news release USDL 00-245 for more information.

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