Average Job Tenure: Public administration, Canada (2025)
Verified average job tenure for the selected Public administration population in Canada, drawn from Statistics Canada (2025-annual).
Public administration · Canada
Source: Statistics Canada
Where this sits
In Canada, public administration ranks 4th of 16 sectors for average job tenure, among the highest. It sits 21% above Canada's all-industries figure of 100.3 months. Across the sectors reported for Canada, average job tenure runs from 56.5 months in accommodation and food services to 189.2 months in agriculture.
Average tenure describes the people who are still there, not the ones who left. A sector can hold long-serving staff and still lose newcomers quickly, so read it next to your own first-year exits, not instead of them.
Take every current employee's months since their start date and average them. Most HR systems report this directly.
How Public administration compares in Canada
Average job tenure, same source and period. See all 19 industries.
What this means
In 2025, average job tenure in public administration across Canada was 121.8 months, according to Statistics Canada. That figure describes the whole workforce in the sector, not the retention performance of any single employer, so it works as a baseline for the labor market you hire from rather than a grade on your own results. Read it alongside your own tenure records and exit interview data to see where your organization actually sits. Since replacing an employee can cost between 50% and 200% of that person's annual salary depending on their level (SHRM), understanding your own numbers against this backdrop has real budget consequences.
Average job tenure: Public administration vs regional average
| Measure | Public administration | Regional average |
|---|---|---|
| Average job tenure | 121.8 months | 106.1 months |