A report by Politico found that the federal workforce is "significantly older" than the private sector workforce. Only 17 percent of today’s federal workers are under the age of 35. In contrast, such young workers make up nearly 40 percent of the private sector workforce.
At the other end of the spectrum, 13 percent of federal workers are over 60.[1]
There are many reasons for the federal government’s struggle to attract younger workers.
However, one key factor may have been captured by veteran journalist Ron Fournier. He wrote that millennials "are fiercely committed to community service." At the same time, "they don’t see politics or government as a way to improve their communities, their country, or the world." Fournier "spent two days at Harvard, and couldn’t find a single student whose career goal is Washington or elective office. . . . To Millennials, the world is filled with injustice and need, but government isn’t the solution. They have apps for that."[2]
Footnotes:
- Politico, "America’s government is getting old," September 27, 2017
- The Atlantic, "The Outsiders: How Can Millennials Change Washington If They Hate It?" August 26, 2013
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 a Senior Fellow for the Study of Self-Governance at the King’s College in New York and an Editor-At-Large for Ballotpedia, the Encyclopedia of American Politics. His most recent book, "Politics Has Failed: America Will Not," was published by the Sutherland Institute in May.To read more of his reports — Click Here Now.
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