What attracts workers to government jobs

Job stability drives retention across the workforce—but the value of retirement plans varies

Most influential factors in employees’ decisions to continue working in government

Percentage who included “job stability” among top factorsPercentage who included “generous retirement benefits” among top factors

60%

23%

60%

11%

60%

22%

60%

38%

62%

17%

57%

32%

54%

39%

62%

25%

All government workers

Gen ZMillennialsGen X and baby boomersBy age

Lower or middle incomeHigh incomeBy income

Traditional pension plan userRetirement savings plan userBy retirement plan type

Source: Economist Enterprise 2025 Benefits 2.0 survey

Job stability is the strongest retention driver across the government workforce, according to the latest Benefits 2.0 survey, conducted by Economist Enterprise and supported by Nuveen. Roughly 60% of government workers across nearly every age and income group cite job stability and predictable employment as one of the top reasons they remain in the sector.

The importance of retirement benefits, however, varies much more across the workforce. Just 11% of Gen Z employees cite generous retirement plans as a key retention factor, compared with 38% of Gen X and Baby Boomers. Retirement benefits are also more important among higher-income workers and traditional pension users. These differences suggest that while stability remains a unifying feature of government employment, the types of benefits workers value most evolve across career stages and financial circumstances.

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Stable benefits, shifting pressures

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Shorter retirement delays, but not for all

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Disclosure statement:

Nuveen and Economist Enterprise, or any of their affiliates or subsidiaries are not affiliated with or in any way related to each other. The research was independently developed by Economist Enterprise and is sponsored by Nuveen, LLC.

This material is for informational and educational purposes only as of the date of production/writing and may change without notice at any time based on numerous factors, such as market, economic or other conditions, legal and regulatory developments, additional risks and uncertainties and may not come to pass. All information has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable. There is no representation or warranty (express or implied) as to the current accuracy, reliability or completeness of, nor liability for, decisions based on such information, and it should not be relied on as such.

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