By Cathi Coppinger

The vast majority of our parents stayed at the same jobs their entire lives, because they knew that hard work and loyalty eventually lead to promotions and raises.  But now it’s 2016.  Not so much. “The Atlantic” magazine analyzed data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and they found the key to getting a big raise is . . . going to work somewhere else. People who switched jobs last year made 4.5% more than the year before.  People who stayed at the same job made 3.9% more.  That doesn’t sound like a huge difference, but if it’s money in your pocket and you are happier it’s pretty significant. The gap was even bigger for people under 35 who switched full-time jobs. This study backs up one from a few years ago, that found people who stay at the same job make 50% less in their lifetimes than people who switch every few years. 50% is a lot!