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New data shows U.S. federal employee engagement and job satisfaction rates have notably increased over the previous year — reflecting how telework opportunities influenced perspectives to push scores in the positive direction for the first time in four years.
The 2023 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government Rankings, which included responses from over 1 million federal employees, reveals an overall engagement and job satisfaction index score of 65.7 out of 100, which is a 2.3-point increase from the previous year.
The Federal News Network reports that this improvement comes after several years of declining scores, which had previously been described as a “warning signal” for agency leaders.
The report ranked federal workplaces based on size categories including large, midsize, and small agencies. Also, 459 agency subcomponents were ranked in addition to data on how employees view “eight workplace issues that affect employee engagement and satisfaction.”
The top 17 large agencies
- National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- Department of Health and Human Services
- Intelligence Community
- Department of Commerce
- Department of Veterans Affairs
- Department of Transportation
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of the Interior
- Department of the Army
- Department of the Air Force
- Department of Agriculture (tied for 11 and 12)
- Department of the Navy (tied for 11 and 12)
- Office of the Secretary of Defense, Joint Staff, Defense Agencies, and Department of Defense Field Activities
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of State
- Department of Justice
- Social Security Administration
NASA continues to lead as the top large federal agency for the 12th consecutive year —demonstrating consistent high scores in employee engagement.
Other agencies also showed significant improvements; for instance, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) moved up to 14th place among large agencies, which marks the most improved score in this category.
However, not all agencies experienced positive changes. About one-third of the agencies saw declines in their scores, with the Social Security Administration ranking last among large agencies. Despite these setbacks, the overall trend indicates a growing recognition of the importance of employee morale in achieving better organizational performance.
The top 26 Midsize Agencies
- Government Accountability Office
- General Services Administration
- Securities and Exchange Commission
- Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
- Environmental Protection Agency
- Department of Energy
- Small Business Administration
- National Science Foundation
- National Credit Union Administration (tied for 9)
- Federal Trade Commission (tied for 9)
- Office of Personnel Management (tied for 9)
- Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
- Federal Communications Commission
- Smithsonian Institution
- Library of Congress
- Department of Labor (tied for 16)
- Department of Housing and Urban Development (tied for 16)
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
- Department of Education
- U.S. Agency for Global Media
- National Labor Relations Board
- National Archives and Records Administration
- Nuclear Regulatory Commission
- U.S. Agency for International Development
- Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation
- Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency
A key factor contributing to higher engagement scores was the prevalence of telework. Employees who teleworked full-time reported the highest levels of engagement and satisfaction, with an average score of 74.6 out of 100. This contrasts with lower scores from employees working in headquarters (69.2) or field offices (61.7).
Notably 53.7% of the employees surveyed in 2023 had a hybrid work schedule, 14.3% said they teleworked full time, and 31.9% reported commuting to the workplace Monday-Friday.
The top 10 Small Agencies were:
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- National Indian Gaming Commission
- National Endowment for the Humanities
- Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation
- U.S. Office of Special Counsel
- Farm Credit Administration
- Federal Labor Relations Authority
- Selective Service System
- Defense Nuclear Facilities Safety Board
- Office of Management and Budget
- U.S. International Trade Commission
The data also reveals that employee engagement and satisfaction scores are the highest at midsize agencies. Next comes small agencies, and then large agencies.
“Our data shows that this 30-39 age group has the lowest scores in important workplace categories, including views of senior leadership, recognition, work-life balance and professional development,” according to Partnership for Public Services’ findings. “Considering that this group will soon assume leadership and supervisory roles across the federal government, leaders need to pay close attention to why they struggle and how to enhance their engagement and satisfaction.”
As competing telework bills move their way through senate hearings, which could limit telework opportunities for federal workers across the U.S., the report reveals the need for federal agencies to continue improving workplace conditions and recognizing employee contributions and
