Federal Employee Morale Hits 32/100: The Worst Score Ever
Federal workforce engagement fell to 32/100 after FEVS was canceled. Gallup shows only 48% of feds 'thriving.' Every agency declined.
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Federal Employee Morale Hits 32/100: The Worst Score Ever
Last Updated: April 19, 2026
OPM canceled the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey in 2025. For the first time in more than 20 years, the government decided not to ask its own employees how they were doing.
The Partnership for Public Service asked instead. They surveyed 11,083 current federal workers in November and December 2025. The engagement score: 32 out of 100. The lowest ever recorded.
Gallup's data told the same story from a different angle. Only 48% of federal employees classified as "thriving" in Q4 2025, down from 58% in 2024. A 10-point single-year drop. All 30 agencies in the Partnership survey declined. Zero improved.
Key Takeaways
- Federal employee engagement scored 32/100, the lowest ever recorded (Partnership for Public Service)
- Only 48% of feds are "thriving" (Gallup), down from 58% in 2024, a 10-point drop
- FEVS was canceled in 2025 for the first time in 20+ years, eliminating the government's primary measurement tool
- All 30 agencies declined. Zero improved.
- 58% of respondents say their engagement is worse than 2024
- HHS scored 20.4/100 (third-lowest) after losing 20,000 employees
What the numbers actually say
The Partnership for Public Service survey measured engagement across the same dimensions the FEVS has tracked for two decades: job satisfaction, leadership quality, organizational trust, and ability to perform mission work.
32/100 is not just a low score. It is a score that indicates a workforce that has largely stopped trying to improve things and is either leaving, planning to leave, or staying while doing the minimum required.
For context, the governmentwide FEVS score in 2024, before the cancellation, was in the low 60s. The drop from roughly 60 to 32 in one year is the kind of decline that human resources research associates with organizational crises, not normal fluctuation.
Agency-by-agency damage
| Agency | Score | Context |
|---|---|---|
| State Department | Lowest | Massive workforce reduction, diplomatic corps demoralized |
| Social Security Administration | Second lowest | RTO mandates, GAO warned staffing gaps will worsen service |
| HHS | 20.4 | Third lowest. Lost 20,000 employees. Kennedy "better group" comments. |
| Average (all 30 agencies) | 32 | No agency above its 2024 baseline |
HHS at 20.4 stands out because it combines the deepest workforce cuts (24% reduction) with Secretary Kennedy's public statement that he had "replaced them with a better group." For the employees who remained, that statement landed as a verdict on their worth.
SSA is dealing with a different kind of pressure. GAO specifically warned that forcing telework-dependent SSA employees back to the office would deepen staffing gaps and worsen service delivery for Social Security beneficiaries.
Why FEVS was canceled
OPM canceled the FEVS in 2025, citing the need to comply with executive orders on DEI. The survey had included questions about diversity and inclusion that OPM decided could not be administered under the new policy framework.
Rather than remove those questions and run the rest of the survey, OPM canceled the entire instrument. This eliminated the only standardized, government-wide measure of employee satisfaction that has existed since 2002.
The Partnership for Public Service stepped into the gap with its own survey. The methodology is comparable but not identical: 11,083 respondents versus the full FEVS population of approximately 1 million. The Partnership acknowledged the sample size difference but noted that the direction of the results, a universal decline across all agencies, is statistically consistent regardless of sample.
The 48% "thriving" finding
Gallup's measurement is separate from the Partnership survey. Gallup classifies workers as "thriving," "struggling," or "suffering" based on a well-being index that tracks life evaluation, not just job satisfaction.
In 2024, 58% of federal employees were thriving. By Q4 2025, that number was 48%. A 10-point drop in a single year is unusual. For comparison, the average private-sector drop during the same period was less than 2 points.
The gap between federal and private-sector thriving rates widened to the largest ever measured. Federal workers are not just less engaged at work. They are less satisfied with their lives overall.
What this means for you
If you're still in federal service and feeling the weight of the last year, the data confirms what you already know: this is not in your head. The morale decline is real, it is measured, and it is universal.
Three things are worth considering.
If you are thinking about leaving, run the numbers before you decide. Use the FERS Retirement Calculator to model your pension under different separation dates. If you've been offered VERA or VSIP, the VERA/VSIP Decision Calculator compares the buyout against staying. The Former Federal Employees Job Market Guide covers where 278,000 ex-feds are actually landing.
If you are staying, document everything. In an environment where engagement is at 32/100, the risk of arbitrary personnel actions increases. Keep copies of performance reviews, emails confirming assignments, and anything that establishes your contributions.
If you are a manager, your people are watching. The 32/100 score means your team is operating on institutional fumes. The employees who stay through this period will remember how they were treated. The ones who leave will tell everyone they know.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current federal employee morale score?
The Partnership for Public Service scored engagement at 32/100, the lowest ever. Gallup found only 48% of feds are "thriving," down from 58% in 2024.
Why was FEVS canceled?
OPM cited compliance with anti-DEI executive orders. Rather than removing DEI questions and running the rest, OPM canceled the entire survey for the first time in 20+ years.
Did any agency improve?
No. All 30 agencies declined. Zero improved.
What agencies have the worst morale?
State Department and SSA ranked lowest. HHS scored 20.4/100 after losing 20,000 employees.
Related Resources
- FERS Retirement Calculator: Model your pension if you're considering leaving
- VERA/VSIP Decision Calculator: Compare buyout vs staying
- Former Feds Job Market 2026: Where 278,000 ex-feds are landing
- State of the Federal Workforce 2026: 50+ workforce statistics
- HHS Staff Cuts: Kennedy Says He Found Better Ones: The 20,000-employee story
- Federal Workforce at Lowest Since 1960s: Historical context
Sources
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