Federal employees, prepare to be dumbfounded.
A recent poll conducted by research giant Rasmussen found that 32 percent of Americans believe that layoffs of 100,000 federal workers would be good for the economy. 47 percent said it would be bad for the economy with another 10 percent having no opinion. The take home message: less than 50% of the population understands the critical role federal employees play in our economy.
So what exactly do federal workers do to help our economy? Here are the facts:
85 percent of the federal workforce lives and works outside of Washington, D.C., stimulating local economies and providing thousands of much-need jobs in all 50 states; the services these workers provide keep our country safe, healthy, and prosperous. Take border patrol agents, for example. Were it not for their tireless defense of our borders guns, criminals, and drugs would flow back and forth freely. Try starting a business or raising a family in cities where drug lords have free rein. How about air traffics controllers? Were it not for these dedicated men and women keeping our skies orderly and safe, air travel would be near impossible for individuals and businesses. Then there are small business lenders at the Small Business Administration, passport adjudicators at the Department of State, wildland firefighters in the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, aerospace mechanics at the Department of Defense, and much, much more.
Without the critical contributions that these and all federal employees make to our nation’s prosperity every day, our economy would be devastated. Cutting 100,000 federal jobs at a time when over 8% of Americans are unemployed would only make the situation worse. It is essential that we do our part to change the public perception of federal workers.
So how do we do it? The answer is simpler than you think. Tell your family, friends, and neighbors about your job and how it benefits our country. It is one thing to disavow some nameless, faceless, image of a federal employee; it is a whole other mental leap to disparage a friend who told you about her work as a nurse caring for veterans.
There are also online outlets for your word of mouth campaign to take root. Visit our “I Am a Federal Employee” blog, and submit your story of service for everyone to see. Until we start speaking up, nothing will change. Do your part and start the conversation today!