Social status of the clerical worker and his permanence on the job

During the year 1922, 59 clerical workers were hired in a life insurance company of medium size. Each of the 59 filled out an application blank and on it stated among other things, the occupation of the father. These parental occupations were studied and grouped into seven classes. At the end of 1924 an examination was made to see how many of those entering in 1922 had remained with the company through their second anniversary. It was found that 24 of the 58 employed had left the company, 34 still remaining. That is, there had been in the two years a 41 per cent turnover, or an average turnover of 20.5 per cent each year, a record which all personnel managers would consider very good. The statistical data are, of course, exceedingly meager, but nevertheless are suggestive of a relationship between occupations of fathers and permanence of service on clerical jobs.