Why Job Hopping May Hurt You in the Long Run

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - A long resume may not lead to professional success or big retirement savings, according to an article from U.S. News & World Report. In fact, moving from job to job could end up hurting you by the time you retire.

If you've got that pension, you might be better off staying put in that job.

“Many pension formulas reward long-term and highly paid employees more than workers with a shorter job tenure,” the article states. “Some job-hopping workers also move in and out of retirement plan coverage throughout their career and cash out small 401(k) balances when they change jobs, both of which lead to smaller retirement account balances.”

If you're a male between the ages of 55 and 64 approaching retirement, your tenure on the job peaked at 15 years in 1983. It fell to 10 years in 2008, according to a recent study by the Washington-based Employee Benefit Research Institute.

Craig Copeland, the author of the EBRI study, writes that “in fact, short-tenure workers with less than five years in a job may not qualify for any pension benefit at all.”

Unfortunately, whether you’re happy does not factor in. The message? Stick it out in order to save it up. That is, if you can hold on to your job.

According to a New York Times article, job-hopping may actually damage your chances of getting hired in the future. Some industries, like start-ups and technology, thrive on job-hoppers, but if that is not where you are, you may have a lot of explaining to do to potential employers.