PRINCETON, N.J., April 3 (UPI) -- Federal workers offered a bleak view of hiring, saying the U.S. government was more likely to contract than expand its work force, a Gallup survey indicated.
Forty-one percent of federal employees asked were more likely to report their employer was reducing its workforce while 23 percent of respondents said it was hiring or expanding, results of Gallup Daily tracking for March, released Wednesday, indicated.
The difference between the two views resulted in a minus-18 Job Creation Index score, dropping from a minus-5 in February before the automatic, across-the-board cuts in federal spending kicked in March 1.
Reports of hiring activity was positive among non-government workers, with an index score of plus-20, based on 35 percent of companies hiring workers and 15 percent of companies letting workers go, the Princeton, N.J., polling agency said.
Among all U.S. workers, the index is plus-17, Gallup said, noting the vast majority of U.S. workers are employed by non-government employers.
Results are based on nationwide telephone interviews conducted with 17,818 adults as part of Gallup Daily tracking March 1-31. The margin of error is 1 percentage point.
