What can we learn from public servants about the state of local government work?
Project Summary
The People Lab launched Public Servant Pulse, a first-of-its-kind annual national survey of the state and local government workforce. The survey measures different facets of the employee experience including workplace satisfaction, employee engagement, and burnout; predictors of employee experience, such as psychological safety, belonging, and team and supervisor relationships; and mindsets that may affect or be influenced by the workplace, like views of government and residents.
By aggregating results nationwide, Public Servant Pulse creates benchmarks that give government leaders a tool to better understand their workforces, and identify both challenges and pockets of excellence that will help improve service delivery.
Why is this issue important?
Over 20 million people work in state and local government in the United States, but the vast majority of survey evidence on the public sector workforce comes from the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS), a survey of federal government employees that was conducted annually until 2025. Until now, there has been no equivalent effort to measure the experiences or viewpoints of city, county, and state employees, even though these workforces face unique challenges and, importantly, have a direct impact on resident outcomes, experiences, trust, and engagement. The lack of national and publicly available state and local workforce data limits scholars’ and practitioners’ abilities to identify and address workforce challenges, compare local issues within a national context, and share best practices across governments.
What are we doing?
To help fill these gaps, in May 2026 we launched an annual national survey of state and local government employees that will produce data on public workforces across the United States. As annual survey waves continue, we will construct a panel of state and local government employees across the country and will also work closely with a small number of select pilot cities to develop and implement in-depth citywide surveys with their own workforces.
What have we learned?
This project is ongoing. The first national survey wave launched in May 2026, and collaborations with pilot cities to implement Public Servant Pulse with their workforces are ramping up through summer and fall 2026.