Federal Workers Say: Never Again
Nearly two-thirds of current and retired U.S. government employees say they wouldn't choose public service a second time
By Barnaby "Bottom-Line" Coyne
Ask a federal worker today whether they'd sign up again, and the odds are they'd say no. A recent survey found that 64% of current and retired U.S. government employees said it's unlikely they would choose a federal career again, according to CBS News and the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, which conducted the poll.
The headline number tells a story about eroding job security — the report describes workers souring on government work as protections they once counted on feel shakier than they used to. CBS News MoneyWatch reporter Megan Cerullo covered the findings, though the specific drivers behind that erosion — hiring freezes, buyouts, reorganizations — aren't fully spelled out in what's been reported so far, and readers should treat any further detail as unconfirmed until it surfaces.
Why should anyone outside the federal workforce care? Because the federal government is one of the largest employers in the country, and a workforce that no longer believes the job is worth taking twice is a workforce likely to keep shrinking through attrition, not just layoffs. That has knock-on effects — on how fast benefits get processed, how quickly national parks reopen after a shutdown, how well agencies staff up for emergencies.
This is one survey, from one advocacy organization for federal retirees and employees. It's a real signal, not the whole picture — and it's worth remembering the group polling here has its own stake in defending federal workers' interests. Still, 64% is not a small number, and it's not one to shrug off.
Somebody's paying for this. Let's find out who.
— Compiled from reporting by CBS News, citing survey data from the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association.
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