Seattle Mayor’s office has incredibly high turnover rate

People working in the fast food industry might be enjoying their jobs more than those working the Office of the Seattle Mayor.

The turnover for Mayor Ed Murray’s office is at a 52 percent turnover rate in about 18 months, Crosscut reports.

McDonald’s has a higher retention rate than Murray does, KIRO Radio’s John Curley quipped.

Related: Tourist getting stabbed, robbed while Seattle Mayor enjoys security on vacation

Since taking office in 2014, 21 people have left what Crosscut says is the top floor of City Hall. That’s 21 out of 40 people.

The rate at which people are leaving isn’t the worst, but it’s close. Since 1991, only the administration of Mayor Paul Schell has had a higher turnover of 59 percent, Crosscut reports.

People are leaving the office for a variety of reasons. Some employees are leaving to advance their careers, or simply for personal reasons, Murray told Crosscut. That includes Kathy Nyland, who recently became the Director of the Department of Neighborhoods; or Brian Surratt, who will be the next Director of the Office of Economic Development.

For some, according to Murray, the office is a way to launch people’s careers, KIRO Radio’s Tom Tangney said. Others might not see it that way, however.

Crosscut points out that some employees, such as Chief of Staff Chris Gregorich, have changed jobs without much fanfare. Gregorich transitioned to the Special Advisor for Strategic Initiatives, after the less-than-favorable announcement of the Mayor’s Seattle housing recommendations, which Murray then backed up on, at least slightly, blaming the media for the bad publicity.

The Mayor’s office told Crosscut that Gregorich’s job change was made because he liked to work on “big-ticket items,” which his new job would allow. He was not punished or demoted.

Weeding out the facts from the spin in the Mayor’s office can be difficult, Crosscut points out. One thing is for sure though, there’s probably plenty of job openings for people who need work, Tangney joked.

“If there isn’t, just wait a week,” Curley chimed in.