WASHINGTON, Sept. 9 (UPI) -- Employees at the U.S. Congress report high levels of job satisfaction, despite long hours, relatively low pay and little job security, a survey indicated.
Congressional Management Foundation and Society for Human Resources Management report, issued Monday, said 80 percent of congressional staff reported overall satisfaction with their jobs, but 46 percent indicated they were likely or very likely seek employment outside of their current office within the next 12 months.
Sixty three percent said they were likely to be job-hunting, compared with compared with 37 percent of the U.S. workforce.
"While Americans consistently report that they are unhappy with the work product of Congress, it appears that the work ethic in Congress is very strong," said Bradford Fitch, CMF president and chief executive officer. "This is exactly what the taxpayer would want to see in a public service workforce."
Survey results also indicated 86 percent of congressional workers said they were highly motivated by their work goals and 83 percent said they enjoy taking on or seeking out new projects or work assignments beyond their job requirements.
The research is based on a survey of more than 1,400 congressional staff members, 55 percent Democrats and 43 percent Republicans. Seventy-two percent of the respondents worked in the House and 28 percent worked in the Senate.
