In March 2018, the federal government employed 84,097 tech specialists. While the tech world is often thought of as a field where young people dominate, just 3 percent of the government’s tech specialists are under 30.
Adding to the incongruity, 14 percent of government IT employees are over 60. According to a report by Nextgov.com, "That means federal technologists at or approaching retirement age outnumbered their 20-something counterparts roughly 4.6 to 1."
The report notes that compensation is a big issue. "The government can’t offer the high salaries tech-savvy 20-somethings might earn at startups and industry giants in Silicon Valley," according to Margot Conrad, director of federal workforce programs at the Partnership for Public Service.
Another factor may be that tech workers see a chance to have a bigger impact in the private sector. Seventy-one percent (71 percent) of voters believe that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have had a bigger impact on the world than all eight presidents who have served since Apple and Microsoft were founded.
As shown below, some agencies find it more difficult than others to attract young tech talent.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
Scott Rasmussen is founder and president of the Rasmussen Media Group. He is the author of "Mad as Hell: How the Tea Party Movement Is Fundamentally Remaking Our Two-Party System," "In Search of Self-Governance," and "The People’s Money: How Voters Will Balance the Budget and Eliminate the Federal Debt." Read more reports from Scott Rasmussen — Click Here Now.
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