Job Security Lures Young and Old to Government Work
The government's Generation Y may not be that much different from older entry-level hires when it comes to deciding on federal employment, new survey data suggests.
When asked the single most important factor in coming to work for the government, the top response for new hires younger than 30 and the 30-and-older hires was the same: job security.
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Syndicate/SubscribeAnnual pay raises, vacation time, sick leave, health insurance and retirement were also cited as important, with few differences in the response rates between those older than 30 and those younger than 30.
With substantial numbers of baby-boom-generation federal employees projected to retire in 2008 and 2009, researchers have been trying to capture the attitudes of Gen Y (18- to 29-year-olds) toward the government and gauge their interest in working for Uncle Sam.
The survey by the Merit Systems Protection Board, which makes recommendations for improving the civil service, found that entry-level hires held generally favorable impressions of the government, with no significant differences based on age.
For example, factors seen as strengths of federal employment included job security (97 percent), benefits (89 percent) and advancement opportunities (86 percent).
Even areas often perceived as weaknesses of the government fared well in the survey. The new hires were positive about pay (71 percent), interesting work (85 percent) and reputation (80 percent).
The MSPB surveyed 2,000 full-time professional and administrative employees who were newly hired into career, entry-level jobs, from General Schedule 5 through GS-9. That is the job classification and pay system for most federal employees, and it covers most white-collar federal positions.
The survey respondents were not inexperienced, recent college graduates, which is the group assumed most likely to be seeking entry-level jobs in the government, according to a MSPB summary of the survey. The average age of the new employees was 33. About one-third had one to five years of full-time work experience before joining the government, and 18 percent had 20 years or more of work experience.
When asked how long they expected to work for the government, 78 percent of those 30 and older said until they retire. For those younger than 30, the MSPB said, 72 percent said either until they retire or that they had no expectations, suggesting that the Gen Y employees are not necessarily going to quit after three to five years, as some experts have speculated.
Steve Nelson, director of the Office of Policy and Evaluation at the MSPB, cautioned that the survey results should be taken as "initial insights" and said that more research is needed to determine whether new government hires are notably different than their contemporaries opting for private-sector jobs. The survey results are to be released as part of a larger study later this year.
Focus on Management
A proposal to elevate management oversight inside the Department of Homeland Security has been approved by a Senate committee as part of legislation that would implement unfinished recommendations from the 9/11 Commission.
