A Comparative Analysis of Public and Private Sector Entrant Quality

Abstract

Theory: Public and private sector employees differ in ways that run counter to the prediction that poor monetary incentives or image battering will leave the public sector disadvantaged in hiring quality employees. Hypothesis: When controlling for sex, race, economic status, and occupation, entrants into the federal sector are better qualified than private sector entrants. Method: Past research on the issue of employee quality is supplemented with a comparative analysis of public and private sector entrants during the 1980s. In the comparative analysis, AFQT scores are used as an indicator of quality. Results: Contrary to predictions of a crisis in public employee competence, the federal government was able to attract higher quality entrants during the 1980s than the private sector.