Survey Finds More College Grads are Seeking Out Public Sector Jobs

It’s graduation season, which means college students everywhere are packing up and leaving campus for good, and preparing to enter the full-time working world for the next 40-odd years.

Faced with a greying workforce and staffing gaps in some pockets of the public sector, government agencies are in the midst of a significant and well-documented push to attract this type of young talent to public service.

A new report from Handshake offers more evidence that these efforts are paying dividends.

Handshake, a networking platform that connects students and young talent with employers, recently surveyed more than 2,600 students planning to graduate with bachelor’s degrees in 2024. Survey participants came from 616 higher education institutes, with responses weighted by gender, race and ethnicity, as well as institutional selectivity.

Overall, the poll found the number of students applying for government jobs is on the way up. For example, roughly 7.5% of job applications that Handshake has received from this year’s college graduating class were sent for government openings. In 2023, that number stood at 5.5%, according to Handshake.

“As hiring slows in technology and professional services, the Class of 2024 is shifting their applications toward other industries,” the reported noted. “Government is the clearest winner from this trend.”

On the whole, this year’s graduating class feels fairly optimistic about their employment prospects. For example, around 70% said they’re confident they will find a job or other post-graduate opportunity that will allow them to apply the skills they learned in college and build toward the career they wish to pursue, according to Handshake.

Still, some are stressed about making the transition to the full-time workforce, the report found. For instance, more than 60% said they fear experiencing burnout at some point. Another 54% are concerned about ultimately not enjoying their work, while 53% worry that they won’t be able to advance in their careers.

Economic trends and anxiety about their financial well-being have many new grads on edge as well. Almost 60% of respondents said the current economic news makes them feel somewhat or very pessimistic, compared to 46% of 2023 college graduates indicating as much. More than half of this year’s graduates reported feeling worried about being able to cover basic expenses once entering the workforce, with more than one third saying the same about their ability to pay down their student loans.

Given these findings, it’s not especially surprising that the Class of 2024 is placing a premium on job security when they’re sizing up would-be employers. In fact, at 76%, job stability topped the list of factors that college graduates said would make them more likely to apply for a job, followed by location (75%), positive employer reputation (72%), high starting salary (71%) and flexibility (61%).

The promise of job stability has long been a key selling point for public sector employers, and seems to be a key part of what’s drawing more new graduates to government opportunities.

“I received an offer to work for a federal agency while in college,” said one Handshake survey respondent. “After graduating, I expect to be converted permanently with a raise. Working for the federal government will open doors for me, and I’m extremely thankful to be in a secure position where I don’t have to worry about being laid off.”