60% of 20s Grade 5 Public Officials Say "Willing to Change Jobs if Opportunity Arises"

Survey on Public Service Life for 4,000 Civil Servants
MZ Generation Values 'Private Sphere'... 40s and 50s Emphasize 'Community and Organizational Values'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] A survey revealed that 6 out of 10 Grade 5 public officials in their 20s are willing to change jobs if given the opportunity.

The Korea Institute of Public Administration announced on the 12th that this result came from a public service life survey conducted by Research & Research Co., Ltd. from August 12 to September 30 last year, targeting 4,000 general public officials from central government ministries and metropolitan local governments.

The same response rate was 44.6% for Grades 6-7 and 43.6% for Grades 8-9.

The institute explained that public officials in their 20s and 30s showed relatively lower organizational citizenship behavior awareness compared to other generations. Organizational citizenship behavior awareness refers to interest in colleagues or the organization and the willingness to devote oneself to the organization.

The institute confirmed that while those in their 20s and 30s valued personal values and private spheres, those in their 40s and 50s recognized the importance of community and organizational values.

On a 5-point scale, the positive response level of public officials in their 50s decreased slightly from 3.73 to 3.65, a drop of 0.08 points. For those in their 20s, the positive response score fell significantly from 3.62 to 3.34, a drop of 0.28 points.

Regarding the statement "The salary I receive is appropriate considering my work performance," respondents rated from 1 point (not at all) to 5 points (very much). Those in their 20s scored the lowest at 2.55, and those in their 30s also scored low at 2.59. Those in their 40s scored 2.80, and those aged 50 and above scored the highest at 3.20.

In the evaluation of "the importance of public service held by individuals," the positive response rate was lower among younger age groups. It was 43.1% for those in their 20s and 76.1% for those aged 50 and above, showing a significant difference.

Regarding the evaluation of "stability in public service life," the rates were similar across all age groups: 56.2% for those in their 20s, 54.7% for those in their 30s, 52.3% for those in their 40s, and 60.7% for those aged 50 and above.

The institute stated, "The compensation system should be restructured to correspond to productivity to strengthen motivation among MZ generation (born in the 1980s to 2000s) public officials with low seniority. For Grade 5 public officials in their 20s who have a high intention to change jobs, it is necessary to improve quality of life, foster a sense of achievement, and provide systematic leadership programs."

Meanwhile, the institute will hold a seminar on the 15th in the afternoon at the National Assembly Members' Office Building large conference room under the theme "Perceptions of the MZ Generation in Korean Society Based on Data," introducing the results of the public service life survey and the social integration survey.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.