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MissionSquare Reports on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Public Sector Workforce

On March 10, 2022, the MissionSquare Research Institute (formerly the Center for State and Local Government Excellence at ICMA-RC or SLGE) published its report, Survey Results:  Continued Impact of COVID-19 on Public Sector Employee Job and Financial Outlook, Satisfaction, and Retention. According to the report, COVID-19 and the Great Resignation continue to impact state and local government employees.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, about 52% of public employees reported that due to coworkers leaving their jobs due to changing jobs, retiring, or leaving the workforce entirely has left the remaining workers anxious (39%), fatigued (42%) and stressed (44%). In addition, 23% of public employees reported incurring greater debt due to the pandemic.

Other key findings include:

  • About 76% of respondents reported that COVID-19 has impacted what they do, where they work, and how they perform their work tasks.
  • About 23% indicated it has been difficult to balance the demands of work and home during the past six months of the pandemic.
  • Nearly 46% reported that the pandemic has created tension in how the public interacts with them.
  • To decrease employee stress, 24% recommended that employers provide salary increases and 15% recommended hiring more staff or reducing workloads.
  • Most were most satisfied with job security (64%), leave benefits (60%) and health insurance (59%). However, only 33% were very or extremely satisfied with their salary, nontraditional benefits (like tuition or child care assistance), and potential career advancement.
  • About 63% indicated that their employer policies implemented during the pandemic have been fair to all employees. However, they also reported that the pandemic has created tension in their coworker working relationships (38%) and with their supervisor (24%).
  • About 59% indicated that they value serving their community while working in the public sector during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The results are based on a national survey of 1,100 state and local government employees conducted by Greenwald Research in November and December 2021.

The survey report is available here.