In light of the economy, students clamor for federal jobs

When senior Vanessa Morales began searching for a job a few months ago, the ever-worsening economy made her uneasy about going into the private sector. Instead, she started looking for a job with the federal government.

"A federal job is a lot more stable," said Morales, a criminal justice and Spanish language major. "Whereas a job in the private sector right now, with the way the economy has been going and the amount of jobs being lost, it's really unreliable."

As the federal government continue to hire despite the rising unemployment rate and hiring freezes across the country, many graduating seniors, like Morales, are turning to the federal government for employment at a larger rate than ever, according to a recent study by the Partnership for Public Service.

The study results postulate that the recession, unemployment rates and the election of President Barack Obama have all contributed to a drastic increase in student interest in federal jobs. More than 250 counseling officials at nearly 200 colleges and universities were surveyed to gauge student tendencies and found that over 90 percent of students working with university career counseling offices are interested in federal jobs or internships, with over 89 percent of respondents citing fewer employment opportunities in the private and nonprofit sectors as the primary reason for their interest.

"When students look at career opportunities within the federal government there are some things that are traditionally connected with those opportunities," said Mark Kenyon, associate director of the university Career Center, which has also seen an increase in student interest in both internship and full-time positions with the federal government this year. "In most cases government careers are very stable and also students realize that they are not likely to be downsized."

Like Morales, Nearly 84 percent of students surveyed listed federal job security - noticeably more stable than job security in the public sector - as a main reason for wanting to work for the government.

"Even though the pay is usually a lot less than in the private industry, you're guaranteed to keep your job," said Morales, who will graduate later this month and go on to work for the Department of the Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network.

Some say Obama's election may also be a contributing factor to the recent pique in student interest in federal jobs, as nearly 75 percent of the polled career counseling centers reported an increase in student interest in federal jobs since the November election.

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