The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on September 24 that the median wage and salary worker had been with their current employer for 4.1 years in January 2026, up from 3.9 years in January 2024. The figures come from a supplement to the Current Population Survey. A median divides workers into two halves: one with longer tenure and one with shorter tenure. The occupation breakdown shows installation, maintenance and repair workers at a median 4.4 years with their current employer, compared with 3.9 years two years earlier. Construction and extraction workers were at 4.1 years in both 2024 and 2026. The broader natural resources, construction and maintenance group was at 4.2 years in both years. Production workers rose from 4.1 to 4.3 years; transportation and material moving workers rose from 3.2 to 3.5 years. These are occupation groups, not individual trades or a comparison of particular employers. A longer median with the current employer does not prove that a trade became safer, that wages improved or that any one worker can expect a steady job. BLS says the overall median can be affected by changes in the age profile and the number of hires and separations. The survey measures tenure with the present employer, not cumulative years of trade experience across contractors. Self-employed business owners and independent contractors are outside its wage-and-salary-worker measure. For someone weighing a skilled career, the figures offer national context, not a local placement or retention forecast. Ask a training program or prospective employer about apprenticeship completion, seasonal scheduling and how often workers change contractors in the specific area and trade.