Community Corner

POLL: Have You Been at Your Job Longer Than the Typical U.S. Worker?

Employees are staying with the same employer longer today than they did 10, 20 and 30 years ago according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Americans are staying in their jobs longer and that may not be a good thing.

In 2012, the last year for which data is available, the typical U.S. worker had been at his or her job for 4.6 years -- up from 3.7 years in 2002 and 3.5 years in 1983 according to a MarketWatch article.

Why is this a bad thing? Economists say U.S. workers are in a rut. A high turnover or "churn" rate in the job market is indicative of a healthy economy.

“People are holding on to their jobs not because they want to, but because they don’t have as much opportunity as they once did,” Anthony Carnevale, director of the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, told Marketwatch.

Opportunities may be on the rise though. A recent CareerBuilder.com survey shows 21 percent of full-time employees plan to change jobs in 2014 -- up from 17 percent in 2013.

Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources for CareerBuilder, explains more workers changing jobs means the job market is improving.

"During the recession and in its aftermath fewer people voluntarily left jobs because the chances of finding a new or better one were low compared to a healthier economic cycle,” she said.

Not only are more opportunities leading workers to change jobs, but also many employees are simply not satisfied in their current positions. The reasons listed for worker dissatisfaction include salary (66 percent), not feeling valued (65 percent), stress (39 percent) and poor work/life balance (39 percent).

Have you been at your current job longer than the typical U.S. worker? Are you happy in your current job or looking to make a change in 2014? Let us know in the comments or vote in our pollNote: This is not a scientific poll. It is for entertainment purposes only.

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