Frightened by economic woes, city workers are holding on to their jobs longer than in recent years.
The attrition rate — which counts those retiring or voluntarily leaving their jobs for other reasons — from July 1 through Oct. 1 this year dropped to 7 percent.
That compares to 8.7 percent for the same period last year, and 10.4 percent during that period in 2007 and 2006.
The annual attrition rate citywide hit a low of 5.1 percent in fiscal year 2009, compared to 6.5 percent the year before and 6.7 percent in fiscal year 2007.
Budget officials expect a similarly low rate for fiscal year 2010, which ends June 30.
“Attrition is a lot less painful than layoffs,” Mayor Bloomberg said recently — but the downsizing city can’t always rely on it.
“That is the problem . . . when an agency has projected to meet their reduction goals and say, ‘Well, we’ll downsize by attrition.’ What do you do if people don’t retire? And that’s exactly what has happened,” the mayor said.
“You know, city employment is great for a lot of people. They like working here.”