Survey: Feds have it good compared to private sector workers
By Kellie Lunney, GovExec.com
1:15 PM ET - December 10, 2012
A new survey shows that most Americans still believe government employees are
better off than private sector workers.
Private sector employees work harder than government employees, said 67
percent of respondents to a December poll conducted by Rasmussen Reports.
Sixty-seven percent of the 1,000 people surveyed also said federal workers have
more job security than their private sector counterparts -- a finding that most
government employees agreed with.
The survey also revealed
differences over private and public sector salaries. Fifty-one percent of
Americans now believe government workers earn more money than the average
private sector employee, but that is down slightly from 58 percent in September,
the survey said. Sixty-one percent of respondents who work at private companies
said they think feds earn more than they do, but 50 percent of government
workers disagreed.
President Obama and Congress extended the two-year pay freeze for civilian
federal workers at least through March 27, 2013, when the current continuing
resolution keeping the government open expires. Despite the across-the-board pay
freeze, feds have been eligible for salary boosts through within-grade increases
and promotions.
Americans are almost evenly split on their opinion of government employee
unions. Forty-nine percent of respondents favor them, while 46 percent oppose
them.
Forty-seven percent believe it would be bad for the economy if the government
hires more people, while 33 percent think it would be good for the country. Only
12 percent of respondents believe Uncle Sam should hire the long-term
unemployed, however.
The pollfs margin of error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
By Kellie Lunney
1:15 PM ET
http://www.govexec.com/pay-benefits/2012/12/survey-feds-have-it-good-compared-private-sector-workers/60054/