Employee turnover at San Diego’s manufacturing and...

Employee turnover at San Diego’s manufacturing and research and development firms rose by .4% to 16% during 1989, according to results of an annual survey conducted by the Compensation Practices Assn. of San Diego County.

The association, which surveys member companies in San Diego, believes that 1990 turnover will remain flat or drop slightly, according to N. Bruce Ferris, personnel manager at Maxwell Laboratories, a co-founder of the 11-year-old organization. That slowdown or possible drop is linked to nationwide concern over defense spending cuts, Ferris said.

Employees “tend to stay put” when the economy slows, Ferris said. “In Southern California, we’re seeing contracts stretching out, we’re not seeing awards being given as quickly as before.”

“This is affecting companies across the country,” Ferris said.

Turnover in San Diego County hit a low of 14% in 1983, Ferris said, but it has gradually increased in recent years as the “baby boom” generation moves up through the work force.

The association gathers data from 50 San Diego-based manufacturing and research and development companies.