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I was just thinking, couldnt the health of the entire economy be linked to how cut throat it is to get a federal job? People dont flock to lower wage but much more secure employment unless the time it takes to find comparable work without moving or excessive commuting is very long.
The massive applicant pool for federal jobs is people attempting to vote with their feet to get out of private sector. Also there has been sharp uptick in emigration out of the USA, in terms of total numbers its really low but thats only because other first world industrialized nations only take very few people.
If everyone and their mom is trying to get a govt job or get out of the USA then something is clearly broken. I hope Trump can get some traction on his make work program to start removing some of the extreme ruthless competition to getting a federal job.
I was just thinking, couldnt the health of the entire economy be linked to how cut throat it is to get a federal job? People dont flock to lower wage but much more secure employment unless the time it takes to find comparable work without moving or excessive commuting is very long.
The massive applicant pool for federal jobs is people attempting to vote with their feet to get out of private sector. Also there has been sharp uptick in emigration out of the USA, in terms of total numbers its really low but thats only because other first world industrialized nations only take very few people.
If everyone and their mom is trying to get a govt job or get out of the USA then something is clearly broken. I hope Trump can get some traction on his make work program to start removing some of the extreme ruthless competition to getting a federal job.
No. There are thousands of federal jobs in hundreds of disciplines. Different agencies get their funding axed or beefed up for political reasons. Federal job availability probably has more to do with the party in power than it does with the state of the economy. If the current Congress or POTUS doesn't want to hear about or believe in environmental responsibility they don't fill jobs in that field...ostrich with its head in the sand. If they are paranoid and internationally aggressive they tend to expand the military (which includes civilian support agencies). If they believe government should hand out more social freebies they expand social services. Nanny state. And so it goes.
What makes you think everyone and his mom is trying to get a Federal job? Oh sure, there are lot of people who apply. But they apply because they think it's a cushy job with better pay and benefits than outside. The truth is most of those people who apply aren't qualified. They don't get government jobs for the same reason they can't get hired by Microsoft or Boeing. And the ones who are qualified, do get offers from the Microsofts and Boeings at higher pay and better benefits.
If you really wanted to do a comparison, you'd have to make it apples to apples and none of the so called studies out there does that.
What makes you think everyone and his mom is trying to get a Federal job? Oh sure, there are lot of people who apply. But they apply because they think it's a cushy job with better pay and benefits than outside. The truth is most of those people who apply aren't qualified. They don't get government jobs for the same reason they can't get hired by Microsoft or Boeing. And the ones who are qualified, do get offers from the Microsofts and Boeings at higher pay and better benefits.
If you really wanted to do a comparison, you'd have to make it apples to apples and none of the so called studies out there does that.
The OPM videos even state that getting a federal job is extremely competitive. Boing and microsoft conduct mass lay offs, federal govt does not. While the pay is higher for private sector, its not so high that I can SAVE (not just make) 100k in a year so that I can hang out for 3 years unemployed after a mass lay off trashes the local economy (assuming I dont want to move all around the country/world constantly).
Also you never know when the lay offs will come, maybe you get 5 years to save and plan, maybe you get 6 months. Since most people are not able to negotiate iron clad employment contracts it kind of leaves you flapping in the wind. Sure if im making a quarter million a year then im clearly going to take the private job and take my chances but 120k being at will its not really that good of money.
Ok so $120k in the private sector. What's your career field and experience and I'll give you the gov equivalent. Too many people just assume it's a straight dollar comparison. Basically subtract $20-$30k to get the gov equivalent you qualify for.
Oh and by the way, no one inside believes a word OPM says so take those videos with a grain of salt.
Fed jobs have no connection to the economy, it is more connected to the elections when you have changes at the top such as a new president. Most of Trump's new appointees are hiring and replacing ranks within the Fed right now. You have lots of folks who are retiring too because they don't want to work for Trump's people.
Getting a Fed job requires a lot of luck, clean background, and how much connection you have. It is less about skillset since just about every Fed job provides training even if you know nothing. You'll be shocked that many Fed workers have zero experience or skills related to their current job, they've been assigned or given the job as an internal referral.
Having spent 27 years in D.C., and working on The Hill as both a contractor and briefly as an employee, I believe I have some insight into that city's workforce. While it may be true that middle to upper level management jobs pay more in the private sector, it is also true, IMO, that many government folks would never achieve that level in the private sector.
While I've held that belief for decades, it is supported by the recent failings of both state and federal work forces that have led to the recent Broward County high school shooting, the Boston Marathon disaster, and even Columbine, where SWAT Sat, Watched And Talked. These are examples of the validity of the Peter Principle.
Having spent 27 years in D.C., and working on The Hill as both a contractor and briefly as an employee, I believe I have some insight into that city's workforce. While it may be true that middle to upper level management jobs pay more in the private sector, it is also true, IMO, that many government folks would never achieve that level in the private sector.
While I've held that belief for decades, it is supported by the recent failings of both state and federal work forces that have led to the recent Broward County high school shooting, the Boston Marathon disaster, and even Columbine, where SWAT Sat, Watched And Talked. These are examples of the validity of the Peter Principle.
When you have lifers in all levels of govt, where would any govt worker want to put their lives at risk. While we give govt workers this outstanding pension and health insurance for the sacrifice they make and putting their lives at risk. In reality few actually do put their lives at risk because most workers especially in DC thinks life is great and they are mostly immune to the economic disruptions the last 20 years in the private sector. That has to change or you'll have more workers lose their nest over failing to do their jobs and the govt is very good at investigation of the recent shooting aftermath.
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