By ANDREA KAY
Gannett News Service

A lot of polls and experts say that what workers want most nowadays is security.

So what else is new?

People always want security. The difference is that in the past couple of years, they thought they had it with the pick of any job and being able to name their price. With all that gone, they're looking for security in a new place the government.

Because no one believes you can find it in corporate America anymore (not that you ever could), they're looking at the public sector. Government is, after all, the biggest employer in the country -- and hiring.

This year, the federal government will add some 90,000 civilian, nonpostal employees, according to an article in U.S. News & World Report. These jobs average $52,000, and federal jobs don't seem to be nearly as vulnerable to economic swings.

There are also jobs at the state and local level, which employ 15 million Americans. Some jobs will even take you overseas.

And although the government hires more clerks and computer specialists than anything else, you'll find jobs in nearly the same areas as private industry. Listings include openings for engineers, nurses, librarians, landscapers, lawyers, accountants and professionals in marketing, public relations, transportation and planning.

The downside to working for the government includes the pay, which is usually less than the private sector. When it comes to federal jobs, bureaucracy is also a way of life, with decisions often based on politics, not merit.

Getting hired is another thing. `The applications process can be maddeningly slow' and complex, with hiring decisions taking six months or more.

Apparently, this is a common occurrence when it comes to government hiring. A man in Calcutta, India, who applied for a state government job 34 years ago received a letter this month asking him to come for an interview, according to a Reuters' story.

Although he gave up hope, his family still holds out the possibility that his son may get a government job. It's only been four years since he applied for a job.

If you're accustomed to being awarded on performance, well, that won't be the case with the government. Pay tends to be rigidly defined by job and raises are based on seniority.

The culture could be a mismatch. The bureaucracy might drive you crazy. Like the hiring process, decisions as varied as the purchase of a new computer to who gets to attend a conference could take forever.

Send questions to career consultant Andrea Kay at P.O. Box 6834, Cincinnati, Ohio 45206. E-mail: andrea@andreakay.com.