How Often Do People Change Jobs?
How often do people change jobs? It might be more often than you think. The era of employment for life is long over. Workers now migrate from job to job over their career in search of greater fulfillment and compensation. Employers discharge employees more readily than in the past when business conditions change or productivity by a worker lags.
The Average Number of Times People Change Jobs
Today, the average person changes jobs ten to fifteen times (with an average of 12 job changes) during his or her career. Many workers spend five years or less in every job, so they devote more time and energy transitioning from one job to another.
Job searching and networking, as well as, tracking and adjusting to job market trends, have taken on enhanced importance. Upgrading one’s employment status has become an ongoing process, rather than something you do once or twice during your career.
Gender and Age Factors
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that people born between 1957 and 1964 held an average of 11.7 jobs from ages 18 to 48.