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Two-thirds of the public sees a job in the federal government as a good way to serve their community

A national survey conducted by the Partnership for Public Service in the spring of 2024 found that 65% of U.S. adults agree that “working in the federal government is a good way for a person to serve their community.” By contrast, only 28% disagree, and 6% say they are unsure.  

The finding offers a potential lifeline to agencies, coming at a time when the federal government continues to lack young talent and suffer from low public trust.

Widespread consensus

The belief in the value and impact of federal service cuts across party affiliation, and age, race, ethnicity and gender categories.    

Fully 80% of Democrats, 55% of Republicans and 61% of independents agree that working for the federal government is a good way to serve one’s community, as do roughly equal majorities of Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and white people.

An encouraging sign for human resource officials and others looking to recruit more young people to join the federal workforce is that 68% of people ages 18 to 34 see a federal career as a good way to serve their community. Although the differences were small, that is the highest percentage among all age groups.

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Continued obstacles but a way forward

Numerous barriers prevent some people from pursuing a career in the federal government. These include a complicated hiring process, an antiquated pay system and a lack of opportunities for young people. According to our latest data, just 7.5% of the full-time federal workforce is under 30, compared with 20% in the broader labor market, and it takes the government an average of about 101 days to hire someone, more than twice the time it takes in the private sector.

The Partnership offers numerous resources for agency leaders, HR professionals and higher education personnel to help potential job candidates launch a federal career. These include GoGovernment.org, a one-stop shop designed to guide people through the application process, and a robust series of internships, fellowships and talent exchange programs that seek to bring more young people into government.

However, anyone invested in bringing more people into government—especially those working in government itself—should emphasize the impact of federal service on local communities. Despite systemic hiring barriers and low levels of trust in government, this finding is key to messaging aimed at bringing more talent into the public sector.

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