I lately attended a retirement occasion, and the retiree was calling it a day after 50 years. She graduated faculty, discovered a job she loved, and caught with it for a really very long time. This isn’t widespread, proper?
The Present Inhabitants Survey asks individuals what number of years they’ve labored their present job. In 2024, solely 3% of staff 18 and older had at the least a 25-year tenure.
After all, then I puzzled if this has modified through the years. Surprisingly, not that a lot between 1996 and 2024, as proven within the chart under, even should you change the variety of years in the identical job.
Folks working the identical job, 1996 to 2024
Nevertheless, the demographics of the workforce has modified through the years. Extra girls entered the workforce; extra individuals earn bachelor’s levels, which suggests beginning jobs later; and rising lifespans imply individuals work extra years basically.
The chart under reveals the shifts over the vary of time, from 1996 by way of 2024, however breaks tenure down by age, intercourse, and schooling.
Job tenure, by age, intercourse, and schooling
As you’ll count on, those that are older usually tend to have longer tenures merely due to that’s how time and math work. The road for 55 and older stays on high with the best percentages and longest tenures.
I anticipated to see extra obvious traits over time, however the percentages are surprisingly much less pronounced.
Though, the Nice Monetary Disaster in 2008 appeared to maneuver the needle a bit.
You too can see some jostle after 2020 because of the pandemic, particularly with those that had lower than a highschool diploma. And it’s the solely time when the 55-and-older group goes under the 45-to-54 group. I’m guessing the drop is a mirrored image of older individuals at greater threat throughout that point.
Regardless of the age or demographic, 50 years is a number of years to be in the identical job.
Notes
The estimates above are based mostly on Present Inhabitants Survey information downloaded through IPUMS. I analyzed and ready the info in R. I made the charts with D3.
