The Nuclear Regulatory Agency has been named the best place to work in the federal government in an independent study based on data compiled by the Office of Personnel Management.

The 2007 Best Places to Work in the Federal Government study, assembled by the Partnership for Public Service and American University’s Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation, placed the Government Accountability Office second in the rankings of large agencies. 

The Securities and Exchange Commission ranked No. 3, followed by NASA at No. 4 and the Justice Department at No. 5. Rounding out the top 10 were the State Department, the Social Security Administration, the General Services Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Department.

NRC moved to the top spot this year from third place in the last “best places” rankings, released in 2005.

“Our strength is our people,” NRC chairman Dale Klein said at a Washington luncheon to announce the rankings. “We hire good people, we train them and we communicate with them.”

The most improved agency was the Social Security Administration, which made the leap to No. 7 this year from No. 21 in the 2005 rankings.

SSA commissioner Michael Astrue attributed the agency’s success to strong links between workforce management programs and SSA’s mission, a diverse workforce, high recruitment standards and an array of employee-friendly initiatives.

The study found that, overall, employee satisfaction and engagement increased from 2005 in 41 percent of all federal organizations, 37 percent of large agencies, 31 percent of small agencies and 42 percent of subagencies.