Dive Brief:
- Young workers aged 18 to 30 born in the early 1980s held on average 7.8 jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. When the workers in the study were aged 18 to 22, that age group held around 4.6 different jobs on average, while they only held 2.2 jobs on average between ages 27 and 30. The study tracked individuals who were born in the early 1980s through time and job changes.
- As workers aged and/or had more education, they stayed in their current jobs longer, survey results show. For example, among jobs held by 25- to 30-year-olds with less than a high school education, 45% of jobs were held less than a year, compared to 27% of jobs held by people with a bachelor's degree or more.
- The survey also showed that women with a B.A. stayed on the job a bit longer than men with a B.A. Women with a secondary education were employed on average for 80% of weeks, compared to 78% of weeks for men. However, women with less than a high school diploma were employed on average 40% of weeks, compared to 64% of weeks for their male counterparts.
Dive Insight:
Some like to tag millennials as "job hoppers" by nature. While some experts have cast doubt on that axiom, millennials are most likely to skip out on jobs when they are unhappy, putting the onus on employers to create solid working experiences fast.
In a tight labor market, some employers are taking steps to reduce turnover, especially among younger workers who frequently fill entry-level positions. In light of these recent findings, it seems likely that some might consider remaining in these jobs longer if they're offered development opportunities, work flexibility, benefits their age bracket finds valuable and educational assistance.