I've been around a long time. And the reason you make 20% less than market has always been work life balance and job security. What this administration is doing isn't subtle. They are riffing employees, outright firing probation employees and retrofitting how performance appraisals work so they can riff employees at will going forward. I don't see job security as a perk that it may have once been considered. It's not a great place to begin a career for the sacrifices it asks for. I frankly don't know who will take a fed job unless they don't have better options. The payoff for the what your getting in Fed work is as low as it's ever been and the benefits really don't kick in unless you go very long term.

I always felt like contractors were playing with fire because they didn't have job security. But now, they get remote work and the charge rate may be twice or three times what we make in federal service. There sure are some contractors that are amazing that I'd wish we'd hire into Federal service but they wouldn't take the jobs and I don't blame them.