Young people like government, but not for work

The inevitable end of the dominance of Baby Boomers is fast approaching, with the last of the generation reaching age 65 by 2030. Whether that is a good or bad thing depends on who you ask, but there is one thing everyone can agree on: younger generations are far less interested in working in government and public service than Boomers have been.

Per a recent Axios study, only 14% of young people want to spend their career in the government or in nonprofit work. This makes the government by far the least enticing employer to Gen Z, who overwhelmingly responded that they would rather work at any size company instead.

The study aimed to show what careers and priorities were front of mind for young people, using a sample of Americans aged 18-29.

According to the Pew Research Center, Gen-Z (generally understood to be born between 1997 and 2012) is considered “progressive and pro-government,” and less likely than previous generations to consider the United States better than other countries.

Being pro-government in general, however, has not translated to Gen Z wanting to work in the public realm. And as the ‘silver tsunami’ of Boomers aging out of the workforce continues, this seems less than promising for sustaining government employment.

Those that do take on government jobs seem to be happy with that decision. Job satisfaction among public sector employees is in fact very high, as reported by Route Fifty. But government jobs are hardly free of the kind of financial strain, burnout, desire for more personal time and other stressors that regularly drive some to consider career changes.

There may also be a generational gap in work style expectations, says Mariela Frías-Gómez, a fellow in the California State Assembly.

“The high stress, the very professional workplace environment, the 9 to 5 – young people want more hybrid, adaptability, flexibility,” she says. “Government work isn’t flexible. But what you get out of it is very rewarding.”

Pedro de Anda Plascencia, a fellow with the California State Senate, has found reason to commit to the reward part.

For Plascencia, his investment in policy has grown out of his background, having been born in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, México and immigrating to America when he was three years old.

“Experiencing what it meant to not have citizenship…I knew I wanted to pursue a career either in policy or law.”

Being pro-government in general, however, has not translated to Gen Z wanting to work in the public realm.

After gaining that interest in working in government, which many young people seem to lack, there are more barriers to be faced.

Getting a foot in the door seems to be one such issue. Plascencia says fellows constantly hear about what openings there are within the building, but notes it would be difficult to find that first step otherwise: “If you’re not working in the building…it’s hard to know about these jobs.”

The pandemic, as always, is also a factor. Another Axios study shows that the private sector has recovered jobs to pre-pandemic levels, but the public sector notably lags. This is felt among feeder programs such as the fellowship.

“Because of the pandemic, applications for the fellowship have dropped…people are straying away from government work,” said Plascencia.

Gen-Z is also projected to be the most diverse to date, which might be a factor in government interest.

“Being queer, Afro-Latina… there’s not many people in the building with my identities, who look like me, who dress like me. People might say, ‘oh, there she goes, talking about representation again,’ but it’s so important, it really is,” said Frías.

Along with the issues of equity and representation, there is always the issue of money.

In an economy that few are watching with optimism, financial concerns are likely front of mind.

“People don’t think there’s enough money or prospects in government,” said Plascencia, in regard to what young people think about when deciding what paths to pursue. “The huge emphasis on STEM, or wanting to go into computer science or something where, with a Bachelor’s degree you can make immediate money… if you do humanities, it seems like you have to pursue a graduate degree.”

Despite the financial woes of entry level public sector work, those who find a passion for policy work often will commit to it.

Among the 18 fellows in the Senate, there is strong interest in staying in government. Although Plascencia is planning to go to law school in the near future, he mentioned that he is among the minority of post-fellowship plans within his cohort.

“Most [of us] are interested in staying here and working.” He mentioned that he also plans to stay for another year or two as he prepares for the next phase of his career. That sentiment was shared by Frías.

“People who stay here more than two years, they end up falling in love with the job…You fall in love with the process, and that’s why a lot of people do stay,” said Frías.

Plascencia also stressed that for the individuals who care about policy, the passion for the work can sustain them through the concerns that might arise.

“I’m okay with not making as much straight out of undergrad, because I know long term I want to do work that’s meaningful for me.”

Claire McCarville is an intern with Capitol Weekly. She is a junior at Arizona State University.