Most current federal workers believe their agency effectively uses funds

March 20, 2025 - Washington DC - New Washington Post/Ipsos polling of federal workers who were federal workers as of January 1, 2025, finds that few federal workers are satisfied with their job in the federal government, even as most are proud of their work and plan to stay. Most believe that their agency uses most of their funds effectively. However, federal workers are divided on whether the average American understands what they do. Few federal workers approve of the job Donald Trump is doing and most feel frustrated about the actions the Trump administration is taking with the federal workforce.

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Detailed findings:

1. Few federal workers are satisfied with their job in the federal government, though most feel proud of their work and plan to stay.

• Just 36% are satisfied with their job in the federal government. In contrast, about twice as many (66%) say they were satisfied with their job in the federal government over the past few years.
• Nearly all (95%) say they are proud of the work they did over the past few years, and most (89%) feel their agency was a good place to work. Looking ahead, two in three (67%) say their agency will be a good place to work.
• Nearly all federal workers (89%) feel their work over the past few years benefited the United States. Likewise, most also feel the work their team (91%) and their agency (92%) did benefited the United States.
• One in three (35%) current federal employees say that it is likely that the Trump administration will remove them from their position through a reduction in force, layoffs, or firings, while 63% say that it is not likely this will happen.
• Eighteen percent say it is likely that they will voluntarily leave their position in the federal government in the next year, while 81% say that it is unlikely. Among federal workers likely to leave, a plurality cites feeling bullied by Trump, Musk, or DOGE (43%), disliking the Trump administration (36%), and thinking they will be laid off or fired anyway (23%) as reasons they are likely voluntarily leaving.
• Sixty percent of federal workers say they received the deferred resignation offer from the Office of Personnel Management, the “Fork in the Road” message. Four percent say they accepted the offer and 96% say they did not.
• Few (36%) say they expect the deferred resignation offer to be honored, while most (63%) say they do not expect it to be honored.

2. Most federal workers believe their agencies effectively use most funds and believe most positions at their agency are necessary to fulfill their mission. Though, federal workers are split on whether Americans understand what they do.

• Three in four federal workers say that the vast majority of funds or most funds are used effectively by their agency, with 7% saying they are wasted. Eighteen percent say half of their agency’s funds are used effectively, and half are wasted.
• Most federal workers (85%) say that the vast majority or most positions at their agency are necessary to fulfill the agencies mission. Three percent say that most or the vast majority of positions are unnecessary, while 11% say half of the positions at their agency are necessary, and half are unnecessary.
• A bare majority (52%) say Musk’s team is mainly cutting necessary government programs, while 24% feel they are cutting wasteful government spending, and 24% aren’t sure.
• Most (57%) say Trump’s executive orders impacting the federal agency where they work is illegal. Forty-one percent say they are legal and 2% don’t know.
• Federal workers are mixed on whether Americans understand what their agency does. Forty-four percent of federal workers believe the average American understands what their agency does, while 55% say they don’t understand.

 3. Few federal workers approve of the job Donald Trump or Elon Musk is doing.

• Thirty-six percent of federal workers approve of the way Donald Trump is handling his job as president. Thirty-three percent approve of the job that Elon Musk is doing within the federal government.
• When thinking about the actions the Trump administration is taking with the federal workforce, most (69%) federal workers say they are frustrated. From there, 63% say they are scared, 55% say they are angry, 34% say they are hopeful, 26% say they are pleased, and 24% say they are enthusiastic.
• A majority of federal workers (56%) say the federal government’s diversity, equity, and inclusion programs were a good thing.
• Federal workers are split on if government employees or job applicants who are Hispanic, Latino, Black, disabled, gay, lesbian or bisexual, or transgender will be treated fairly under the Trump administration. Most federal workers think white or Asian workers will be treated fairly under the Trump administration.

About the Study

This poll was jointly sponsored and funded by The Washington Post and Ipsos. The poll includes a random sample of 614 civilian federal workers.

The questionnaire was administered with the exact questions in the exact order as they appear in this document. Demographic questions are not shown. If a question was asked of a reduced base of the sample, a parenthetical preceding the question identifies the group asked. Phrases surrounded by parentheticals within questions indicate clauses that were randomly rotated for respondents.

Ipsos conducted sampling, interviewing and tabulation for the survey using the KnowledgePanel, a representative panel of adults age 18 and over living in the United States. KnowledgePanel members are recruited through probability sampling methods using address-based sampling. Panel members who do not have internet access are provided with a tablet and internet service.

This survey uses statistical weighting procedures to account for deviations in the survey sample from known population characteristics, which helps correct for differential survey participation and random variation in samples. The sample was weighted to match population estimates for the demographic makeup of civilian federal workers prior to the start of the 2025 Trump administration, as detailed in the table below.

All error margins have been adjusted to account for the survey’s design effect, which is 1.7 for this survey. The design effect is a factor representing the survey’s deviation from a simple random sample and takes into account decreases in precision due to sample design and weighting procedures. Surveys that do not incorporate a design effect overstate their precision. 

The Washington Post and Ipsos are charter member of AAPOR’s Transparency Initiative, which recognizes organizations that disclose key methodological details on the research they produce.

Contact polls@washpost.com for further information about how The Washington Post conducts polls.

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Source: Ipsos