Feds work less, earn more than private-sector employees -- or so people believe

How’s this for public opinion: A recent poll shows that most adult Americans believe government employees have an easier job and make more money compared with their industry counterparts.

Sixty-six percent of respondents in an April 6 Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey said private-sector employees work harder than those in government. Only 8 percent say government employees grind away the most.

Astonishingly, many government respondents agree with these perceptions. Forty-six percent of government workers say their industry colleagues work harder, while nearly one-third says the contrary is true.

More than half (56 percent) of the respondents also believe the average government worker has a bigger paycheck than the average private-sector employee, while 23 percent say those in industry make the most money. Twenty-one percent are uncertain about which of the two rakes in the most dollars.

When it comes to job security, almost 70 percent of respondents believe government workers have better chances of keeping their jobs than those in the private sector. And most government respondents agree with that; 62 percent said they have greater job security than those in industry.

Respondents were also asked what impact would an expanding federal workforce have on the economy. Forty-four percent said more public-sector hiring would have a bad effect on the economy, while 38 percent said adding more civil servants would have a positive results.

The survey was based on the responses from 1,000 American adults, with more respondents citing Republican party affiliation (37 percent) than Democratic (31 percent). More women than men were polled (54 percent vs. 46 percent), and the largest age demographic was those in the 18-to-39 range.

What's your take on the survey findings?