A third of Americans say massive federal layoffs would help economy, poll finds

The survey asked 1,000 respondents about a scenario in which the government lays off 100,000 federal workers to reduce government spending. Thirty-two percent said such a move would be good for the economy, 47 percent said it would be bad for the economy, 10 percent said it would have no impact and 10 percent were not sure.

Past Rasmussen polls have suggested Americans think government workers work less and earn more than private sector employees.

In the current survey, conducted by telephone on June 12 and 13, only the last question was about federal workers. The other seven questions dealt with compensation and skill -- asking, for instance, if a more educated employee or a more productive one should be paid more and if Ivy League graduates are better workers.