Turnover Among the Civil Service Components of the Department of Defense Acquisition and Medical Workforces

Abstract

This study is an analysis of workforce turnover behavior among two segments of the Department of Defense (DoD) civilian workforce. Its research objective is to identify turnover trends among the civil service medical healthcare workforce and the civilian component of the defense acquisition workforce. The study employs a logistic regression model to estimate the relationship between employee personnel characteristics and the likelihood of separating from the civil service. In both groups, the overall pattern of attrition was consistent with a life-cycle model of turnover behavior. The results highlight specific employment categories where improvement in recruiting a more diverse workforce is needed.