Federal workers’ job satisfaction level declines

Federal workers were a little less happy with their jobs last year than in previous years, according to a survey conducted by the Merit Systems Protection Board. MSPB surveys the federal workforce every three years to track the level of federal employee job satisfaction. In previous studies, MSPB found that job satisfaction levels among federal employees remained at or above 70 percent. In the 2000 Merit Principles Survey the number of federal workers who expressed satisfaction with their jobs dropped slightly--to 67 percent. "We have traditionally seen [job satisfaction numbers] hold very steady despite what was happening around federal employment, and this year, for the first time, we saw it drop below 70 percent," said John Palguta, MSPB's director of policy and evaluation. "Our glass is more than half full, but we'd like it to be even fuller." Seventy-eight percent of survey respondents said the work they do is meaningful, compared with 87 percent in 1996. A little more than half of those surveyed would recommend working for the federal government, according to the survey results, published in the May issue of MSPB's Issues of Merit newsletter. While the drop in job satisfaction could be an aberration, the numbers should still serve as a red flag for federal managers and other officials interested in retaining employees, said Palguta. "We know people are more productive when they are satisfied with their work environment. We're looking for conditions that will improve the productivity and the effectiveness and efficiency of the federal workforce," he said. Efforts to reinvent federal operations during the Clinton administration, which led to workforce reductions, may have had some bearing on workers' attitudes, Palguta said. "We're seeing the culmination of some major changes in how government gets its work done, and in some agencies, people are doing the same work, but doing it with fewer resources. That can take some getting used to," he said. In January, the General Accounting Office designated "strategic human capital management" as a high-risk area on its biennial list of government programs and agencies vulnerable to fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement. GAO estimates that about 15 percent of the federal workforce will retire in the next five years. In light of those facts, federal managers should not ignore job satisfaction numbers, Palguta said. "When you are facing a possible 'brain drain,' you certainly don't want job satisfaction levels to decline," said Palguta. "You may want to keep some of your talented employees a bit longer than they might otherwise stay, and one way to do that is to make sure it's a positive work environment and that people take pride in their work." Palguta said managers and other officials should use the information in the survey to fine-tune retention efforts in their agencies. "What we hope is that this has a constructive impact on the dialogue about federal workforce effectiveness, causing managers to go back and take a look at their own work unit or department or agency, and see if this is something that is happening at their level and whether there is something they can do about it," he said.

Percentage of respondents who agreed with the statement:
"In general, I am satisfied with my job."