In a recent survey conducted by Governing magazine, they found that while state and local governments have been hard-hit by budget cuts, leaving employees lamenting pay freezes and a lack of advancement opportunities, they have also made great strides in advancing new and improved workforce initiatives.

According to the survey, state and local employee job satisfaction levels are buoyant:

Overall, employees seem fairly content, despite the hardships of the past few years. Of those surveyed, 78 percent reported being somewhat or very satisfied with jobs and working conditions. The overwhelming majority similarly thought they could make a difference through their work, and 73 percent felt valued by their employers at least somewhat.

One of the survey areas where state and local governments were largely succeeding was in the work/life balance category. 

Governments received high marks in this area, with 86 percent expressing satisfaction with work/life balance. Use of telecommuting–one common measure promoting flexibility–continues to spread across all levels of government, particularly in information technology and program areas where it’s most practical.

For more information, including charts with survey responses, see the full story from Governing.