Americans are holding onto their jobs longer, according to data compiled by the Employee Benefit Research Institute.

The median length of time that workers aged 25 and older have stayed in their jobs in 2012 is 5.4 years, the institute said Wednesday.

That compares with a median tenure of 5.2 years in 2010.

Historically, that’s been considered a relatively short period, but it’s actually inched longer in recent years. Job analysts say that’s because people who have jobs during a recession are more likely to stay put than to leave voluntarily.

Involuntary job departures also play a role in tenure, but don’t occur in sufficient numbers to overwhelm the data produced by voluntary job changes.

The tenure report dovetails with other recent research into job tenure.

“The idea of holding a full-career job and retiring with the proverbial gold watch is a myth for most people,” the institute’s report said.

Researcher Craig Copeland said the overall trend line “masks a small but significant decrease in median tenure among men,” which was offset by an increase in median job tenure among women.

The report said median tenure for government-sector workers was 8.3 years in 2012. Government employment has long been associated with longer tenures than working in the private sector.

The full tenure report is accessible at ebri.org.