Job satisfaction dropped 8% from 2020 to 2021, according to the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey
Every year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) conducts a government-wide survey to gauge job satisfaction among Federal Employees. For 2020, 44.3% of 1,410,610 federal employees who were invited to complete the questionnaire did so. In 2021, a significantly lower portion- 33.8% – responded. The data set was also noticeably smaller this go-around, with 865,425 feds asked to contribute.
Demographics
The Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS) first shows something that has nothing to do with the respondents or viewpoints: demographics. For instance, 45% of Feds are female, which is unchanged from 2020, an0d still well below the 49% mark set in 2017. Less than 1% of the federal workforce was born in 1945 or earlier, which is down from last year when the FEVS showed the same figure as just “1%.” 24% are Baby Boomers, which has fallen 5% since 2020. 43% belong to ‘Generation X,’ making up the majority. The percentage from that generation hasn’t changed since 2020. 30% of the federal workforce are millennials- a number that has grown 2% since the prior year, and 2% of all federal employees represent generation Z, having been born in 1997 or later.
Satisfaction and Teleworking
For overall satisfaction with their jobs, 64% of respondents were satisfied. This is an 8% drop from 2020, when it was 72% and the highest it had been in the previous 5 years. 2020 was a different year, though. Not only was the survey itself significantly delayed, but there was also a major shift in how federal agencies operated. At the peak of the pandemic, 59% of federal employees were teleworking, compared to just 3% from the pre-pandemic numbers. According to the newest survey results, 36% responded that they are currently teleworking full-time, down from the 47% seen in the 2020 FEVS. Another 21% said they telework from 1 to 4 days a week, which is down 5% from 2020’s results. 31% said they are not teleworking at all, for various reasons, and that number is up from 27% in 2020. The remaining 12% telework either once or twice per month, or “infrequently.”
Until Next Time,
**Written by Benjamin Derge, Financial Planner, ChFEBC℠. The information has been obtained from sources considered reliable but we do not guarantee that the foregoing material is accurate or complete. Any opinions are those of Benjamin Derge and not necessarily those of RJFS or Raymond James. Links are being provided for information purposes only. Expressions of opinion are as of this date and are subject to change without notice. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse, authorize, or sponsor any of the listed websites or their respective sponsors.
