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Washington, D.C.—The Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) latest survey of federal employees shows that the vast majority of them remain committed to public service despite sagging morale caused by last year’s unnecessary government shutdown and severe budget cuts, the leader of the nation’s largest independent federal union said today.

“Federal employees displayed remarkable resilience though Congress needlessly shut down the government for 16 days last year. The survey shows employees continue to believe their work is important and are willing to go the extra mile to get the job done for our country,” said National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) National President Colleen M. Kelley. “Congress and federal managers should pay close attention to the survey’s results, which clearly point to declining morale as employees are constantly being asked to do more with less.”

Results of the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), released today, should serve as a wakeup call for federal managers to find creative ways within existing constraints to improve morale and employee retention.

“Managers should solicit the views of frontline employees and their unions, and incorporate them in decisions regarding critical issues like how to do the work of the agency better during tight budget times,” President Kelley said. “Otherwise, experienced employees, as the economy improves, will be tempted to leave public service for private-sector jobs or retire in large numbers.”

The survey, which received responses from nearly 47 percent of the federal workforce, found:

• 96 percent of the respondents said they are willing to work extra to get the job done, a figure that has remained consistent since 2011.

• 90 percent said they constantly look for new ways to do their jobs better and an equal number reported that the work they do is important; both those statistics have held steady in recent years.

• 82 percent responded positively when asked to evaluate the quality of the work done by their units.

However, the overall job satisfaction numbers continued a steady decline. Only 64 percent responded positively this year, down from 71 percent three years ago.

“The steady decline in job satisfaction numbers over the years is a disturbing trend that does not bode well for the country,” President Kelley said.

The survey pointed to several signs of falling morale as well:

• 55 percent of this year’s respondents said they are satisfied with their agencies, compared to 62 percent in 2011.

• 62 percent said they would recommend their organization as a good place to work, compared to 69 percent three years ago.

• Just half said they get the proper training to do their jobs effectively, down from 54 percent in 2011.

• More than half who took the survey – 55 percent – said they lack the resources to do their jobs effectively, and 50 percent said their training needs are not assessed. Both of those are higher than in 2011.

“Employee morale is unquestionably on the decline even though the workforce remains strongly committed to its public service mission. Morale will take another hit if Congress fails to agree on a new budget once the current stopgap measure expires,” President Kelley warned, referring to the continuing resolution that will expire on Dec. 11. “We urge Congress to pass a new funding bill that provides employees with the resources necessary to accomplish the critical missions of their agencies.”

As the nation’s largest independent federal union, NTEU represents 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.