House staffer turnover is slowly improving, though it remains near decade-high levels.
2023 saw staff retention improve by 4% over the previous year, according to a LegiStorm analysis. But that's still tied for the third-worst turnover rate since at least 2001, the first full year of LegiStorm's salary data.
The House's staff retention began its slow decline in about 2009, but the pandemic and Capitol insurrection ignited an exodus that saw 55% higher staff turnover in 2021 than 2020. The House increased its personal-office budgets in 2022 and implemented a $45,000 salary floor in an effort to stop the exodus and help attract and retain staffer talent.
House turnover improved by 8% from 2021-2022.
Despite being at the forefront of the staffer unionization movement, House Democrats lost staff at the same average rate as Republicans last year.
Excluding members who left their seats early in the term, Reps. Jonathan Jackson (D-Ill.) and Nancy Macy (R-S.C.) had the worst staff retention and lose aides at 3.5 times the House average.
Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.), Burgess Owens (R-Utah) and Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) rounded out the worst retention rates among representatives who are still in office.
LegiStorm's staff turnover index is salary-weighted, meaning that the departure of a higher-paid staffer, such as a chief of staff, will count proportionately more than staff assistant or other lower-paid staffer. LegiStorm considers only full-time, non-temporary staff and excludes all interns and fellows.
