Where do all the PR young go?

I was talking to Nathan Smith of Manchester based Smith and Smith PR. He observed that you see few PR agency staff over 30. The exception is, in the main, director level staff but this does not explain the discrepancy.

So where do they all go? Is there a Logan's Run type scenario going on that means people over age 30 are terminated as PR professionals, a flashing palm being an obvious clue?

The serious reasons could be staff taking time out to have families, change of careers and, most probably, moving to in-house teams - a move that is less stressful and often pays more.

For an industry that is so popular - the CIPR states that PR is in the top three career choices for graduates - it is not hard to replace staff in terms of numbers.

It is a shame if vital experience is lost for clients and the standing of the profession because a ready supply of replacements is at hand. Indeed it could be detrimental to the standard of service offered.

If Nathan's throwaway observation is evidence of an underlying problem it really needs to be addressed.