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By: FEDweek StaffA recent MSPB publication looking back on the 1978 Civil Service Reform Act says that as changes to that law are considered, a key issue is that the federal workforce is a “different workforce today and will require different efforts to improve the management of it.”
“The federal workforce that existed at the time of the CSRA’s enactment bears little resemblance to the workforce of today, which is worth considering as we look at future reform efforts. Knowledge work and technology have all but eliminated several occupations that were once common. The technology workforce has more than tripled in size. Also, law and law enforcement occupations have become more prominent, accounting for three of the most populous occupations in 2016,” it said.
In 1977, the occupation with the largest number of employees was general clerk, with just above 90,000. That is now only the sixth-largest and has fewer than half of the number, about 42,500.
None of the other top-10 occupations of the time are on the top-10 list today. In declining order: secretary, clerk-typist, nursing assistant, supply clerk, air traffic controller, clerk-stenographer, computer specialist, engineering technician and electronics technician.
The top-10 list today is: program specialist, IT specialist, nurse, management analyst, investigation/compliance technician, general clerk, investigator, contract specialist, investigation/compliance specialist and attorney.
