Scott Rasmussen's Number of the Day for October 3, 2018
The Number of the Day columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
October 3, 2018: In March 2018, the federal government employed 84,097 tech specialists. While the tech world is often thought of as a field where young people dominate, just 3% of the government’s tech specialists are under 30.[1]
Adding to the incongruity, 14 percent of government IT employees are over 60. According to a report by Nextgov, “That means federal technologists at or approaching retirement age outnumbered their 20-something counterparts roughly 4.6 to 1.”
The report notes that compensation is a big issue. “The government can’t offer the high salaries tech-savvy 20-somethings might earn at startups and industry giants in Silicon Valley,” according to Margot Conrad, director of federal workforce programs at the Partnership for Public Service.
Another factor may be that tech workers see a chance to have a bigger impact in the private sector. Seventy-one percent (71%) of voters believe that Steve Jobs and Bill Gates have had a bigger impact on the world than all eight presidents who have served since Apple and Microsoft were founded.
As shown below, some agencies find it more difficult than others to attract young tech talent.
Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology.
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- September 27, 2018 – 704 average credit score sets new record
- September 26, 2018 – 2,000,000 Americans have severe heart failure
- To see other recent numbers, check out the archive.
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Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.
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