The most common measure of job stability is job tenure, or the length of time a person holds a job. Based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from 1983 to 2006, job tenure was essentially unchanged for men and increased for women. However, when that data was broken down by age groups, job tenure for women between the ages of 35 and 54 rose by about six months, while job tenure for men between the same ages fell substantially. For instance, job tenure for men between the ages of 45 and 54 fell approximately 37%, from 12.8 years in 1983 to 8.1 years in 2006.
BLS data also suggests that there has been an increase in the level of involuntary job loss. Not only does this result in lost wages while the worker is looking for a new job, but often a new job pays less than the former job. From 2001 to 2003, workers experienced a 17% decline in earnings due to job displacement. Individuals with at least a college education experienced the highest level of lost wages, down 21% on average. Other consequences of job loss include losing health insurance benefits and not accumulating funds for retirement.