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Is a government job usually more stable than other jobs?

My friend wants to get a degree to target a government job, is this wise? He is a non-traditional student returning to school and wants to study Criminal Justice...I think he knows that the pay is low, but he says both the benefits and the job security are great. Is he right?

Public Comments

1. Yes.he is right.
2. Yea.. I also want to get into the government because of the higher pay, benefits and job security.
3. Yes, and no. If the job is civil service, there is stability. However, if it is not, and many municial jobs fall into this category. they can be very insecure. Whenever there is an election and someone new comes into power, you are at their mercy. In my city, it seems every new mayor fires the police chief and several department heads. Also, departments and branches can be closed. Here, several; years ago, the local unemployment office was closed, and the employees were laid off. Some chose to bid for jobs a distance from here, others simply found jobs elsewhere. Benefits ususally exceed what you'd find in the private sector, but as for security, there is no hard answer. When he starts to look, have him be sure the job is civil service.