Changing Stability in U.S. Employment Relationships: A Tale of Two Tails

A-Tier
Journal: Journal of Human Resources
Year: 2024
Volume: 59
Issue: 1

Authors (3)

Raven Molloy (not in RePEc) Christopher L. Smith (not in RePEc) Abigail Wozniak (University of Notre Dame)

Score contribution per author:

1.341 = (α=2.01 / 3 authors) × 2.0x A-tier

α: calibrated so average coauthorship-adjusted count equals average raw count

Abstract

We examine how the distribution of employment tenure has changed over time. The fraction of workers with short tenure (less than one year) has fallen since the mid-1990s, a trend associated with fewer workers cycling among briefly held jobs and an increase in perceived job security among short-tenure workers. Meanwhile, the fraction of men with long tenure (20 years or more) has declined markedly, partly due to the secular shift away from the manufacturing sector and the decline in unionization, as well as an increase in mid-career separations during the 1970s and 1980s that reduced the likelihood of reaching long tenure.

Technical Details

RePEc Handle
repec:uwp:jhriss:v:59:y:2024:i:1:p:35-69
Journal Field
Labor
Author Count
3
Added to Database
2026-01-29