“Matters More than Ever:” Public Service Recognition Week 2025 Begins

It’s Public Service Recognition Week.

And this year, the annual celebration of the nation’s approximately 23 million public servants takes place against the backdrop of rapid cuts to the federal workforce and to federal programs through the Trump Administration and its Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). 

Public Service Recognition Week (PSRW) runs from May 4-10, and has been held the first full week of May since its launch in 1985.  

Usually marked by a White House proclamation, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a statement marking the week.  

“We are tremendously grateful to our federal employees and recognize their commitment to public service,” said OPM Acting Director Chuck Ezell. “During Public Service Recognition week, we especially recognize federal employees as the backbone of a functioning government and this strong nation.”

Full Slate of Events and Activities to Raise Awareness

The Partnership for Public Service and other organizations published information on events and activities to celebrate public workers and to bring wider awareness of their roles and responsibilities, while others issued statements extolling public service. 

Raising awareness of the work that public servants do everyday is key in the Partnership’s view to ensuring that Americans will line up against further cuts to federal services. 

“Championing civil servants’ work and impact— and their role as nonpartisan employees committed to the public good—is critical to showing people what is at stake if the apolitical federal workforce is decimated,” said the Partnership in a PSRW toolkit. 

One idea from Civil Service Strong includes a theme for each day of Public Service Recognition Week. Themes include taking one day to hold comment drives to oppose the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rule on remaking the civil service, one day to tell members of Congress how the federal cuts are impacting their lives, one day to hold dinners with friends and family to discuss the importance of public service, and one day to write thank you notes to public servants. 

“Because the truth is simple: if we don’t have public servants, we don’t have public services. No staff means no service,” wrote Civil Service Strong. 

Senior Executives Association (SEA) President Marcus Hill, who noted the association helped launch PSRW in 1985, said “To those who have chosen to serve our nation and humanity through public service, thank you.”

Ten Ways to Celebrate

The Partnership for Public Service meanwhile is denoting ten ways to celebrate public service week.

These include signing up for updates, joining the #ISupportFeds social media campaign that highlights individual federal workers, patronizing businesses that support civil servants, hosting and attending events to celebrate public servants, and reading about those who have made an impact in federal service. 

There is also a webinar titled “Who is Government: A Conversation with Casey Cep.” It’s a discussion of the book “Who is Government: The Untold Story of Public Service” by various authors, including Cep, which explores the contributions that public servants have made to improve people's lives. The book is edited by Michael Lewis, author of “Moneyball,” “Liar’s Poker,” and other bestselling titles.  

“This year, supporting our nation’s civil servants matters more than ever,” exclaimed the Partnership.