Job satisfaction jumped 3% from 2019 to 2020, 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 2019, 42.6% of 1,443,152 federal employees who were invited to complete the questionnaire did so. In 2020, a slightly higher portion- 44.3% – responded. The data set was smaller this go-around, with 1,410,610 feds asked to contribute. There were approximately 9,400 more replies, as well.
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 a 1% increase from 2019, but still well below the 49% mark set in 2017. 1% of the federal workforce was born in 1945 or earlier, which may actually be a gain from last year when the FEVS showed the same figure as “less than 1%.” 29% are Baby Boomers, which has fallen 6% since 2018. 43% belong to ‘Generation X,’ making up the majority. The percentage from that generation was 44% in 2019 and 43% in 2018. 28% of the federal workforce are millennials- or younger, a number that has grown from 24% in the prior year. 27% of Feds have served for over 20 years.
Coronavirus' Impact
For overall satisfaction with their jobs, 72% of respondents were satisfied. This is a 3% spike from 2019, and the highest it has been in the last 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 survey results, 47% responded that they are currently teleworking full-time, with another 26% saying they telework from 1 to 4 days a week. 27% said they are not teleworking at all, for various reasons. 23% of the survey respondents said COVID-19 was significantly disruptive to their ability to work. 48% reported that the pandemic directly caused their workload to increase.
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Until Next Time,
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