The returns to seniority in academic labor markets

Although earnings and seniority are believed positively related in most lab or markets, the earnings of academics,were thought to be an exception to th is rule. Using the National Survey of Postsecondary Faculty: from 1993, we find that earnings and seniority are positively related once adequate contr ols for past labor market mobility are included among the regressors. In pa rticular, we find that individuals who are currently tenured at their initi al job have the steepest seniority profile of any group we examined. We als o find a handsome premium paid to individuals who are hired-with-tenure. Th ese results suggest a market characterized by competitive "raiding" of top faculty.