Agencies at the Top
For the ninth year in a row, NASA achieved the number one Best Places to Work ranking among large federal agencies, posting a 2020 score of 86.6 out of 100. The intelligence community ranked second with a score of 76.7 followed by the Department of Transportation at 76.1.
In the midsize category, the Government Accountability Office jumped from third place to first with a score of 89.4. The GAO was followed by the Federal Trade Commission with a score of 89.1, while the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ranked third with a Best Places to Work score of 87.2.
The top-ranked small agency is the Congressional Budget Office at 92.8 followed by the Office of Special Counsel at 86.5 and the U.S. International Trade Commission at 86.4.
For the fifth time since joining the rankings in 2015, the Office of the Inspector General at the Tennessee Valley Authority is the top ranked subcomponent with a score of 96.2. It is followed by the Office of the General Counsel at the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, which posted a score of 94.8.
All of these federal agencies far exceeded the 2020 government-wide Best Places to Work employee engagement score of 69.0 out of 100 and were higher or just fell slightly short of the private sector engagement score of 77.0.
See the full rankings| Large Agencies | Engagement Score |
|---|---|
| National Aeronautics and Space Administration | 86.6 |
| Intelligence Community | 76.7 |
| Department of Transportation | 76.1 |
| Midsize Agencies | Engagement Score |
|---|---|
| Government Accountability Office | 89.4 |
| Federal Trade Commission | 89.1 |
| Federal Energy Regulatory Commission | 87.2 |
| Small Agencies | Engagement Score |
|---|---|
| Congressional Budget Office | 92.8 |
| Office of Special Counsel | 86.5 |
| U.S. International Trade Commission | 86.4 |
Agencies at the Bottom
For the ninth straight year, the Department of Homeland Security ranked last among 17 large agencies, posting a 2020 Best Places to Work score of 61.1 out of 100. For the third year in a row, the Department of Agriculture placed 16th with a score of 64.3, while the Social Security Administration was 15th with a score of 64.5.
In the midsize agency category, the U.S. Agency for Global Media placed last with a score of 53.0 points followed by the National Labor Relations Board at 54.7 and the Department of Education at 57.9.
The Office of Management and Budget ranked last among 29 small agencies with a score of 54.6, dropping precipitously from a sixth place ranking in 2019. The Corporation for National and Community Service ranked second to last with a score of 55.8 while the International Boundary and Water Commission ranked 27th with a score of 55.9.
For agency subcomponents, the International Broadcasting Bureau, part of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, ranked last with a score of 35.5, while the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, part of the Department of Health and Human Services, was second to last with a score of 37.1. Both subcomponents have been at or near the bottom of the rankings for a number of years.
See the full rankingsPhoto Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls) | Creative Commons license
| Large Agencies | Engagement Score |
|---|---|
| Social Security Administration | 64.5 |
| Department of Agriculture | 64.3 |
| Department of Homeland Security | 61.1 |
| Midsize Agencies | Engagement Score |
|---|---|
| Department of Education | 57.9 |
| National Labor Relations Board | 54.7 |
| U.S. Agency for Global Media | 53.0 |
| Small Agencies | Engagement Score |
|---|---|
| International Boundary and Water Commission | 55.9 |
| Corporation for National and Community Service | 55.8 |
| Office of Management and Budget | 54.6 |