SEC AMONG BEST PLACES TO WORK IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
2005-131

Washington, D.C., Sept. 14, 2005 - The Securities and Exchange Commission is pleased to announce that it has been ranked among the top five places to work in the federal government in a study conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and U.S. News and World Report.

"I'm immensely proud that the SEC has achieved this distinction," said Chairman Christopher Cox. "The honor is even more significant because it reflects the views of the Commission's own employees. The SEC is an exceptional team of dedicated professionals who share a vital mission, and a commitment to hard work in the public interest. Almost everyone who works here could earn more in the private sector. We are all here because we want to be."

The Commission can accomplish its mission of protecting investors and maintaining the integrity of the securities markets only if it has a highly skilled, experienced, and enthusiastic workforce. To maintain such a workforce, the Commission has implemented or expanded many new human capital programs including a more competitive pay structure, the SEC University, telework, fitness centers, vision and dental benefits, and emergency child care. These programs enable the SEC's employees to stay healthy, achieve a balance between work and family, and move forward in their professional careers.

Complete results, compiled in a joint study conducted by the Partnership for Public Service and the Institute for Study of Public Policy Implementation and based on data from the 2004 Federal Human Capital Survey, can be accessed at www.bestplacestowork.org.

http://www.sec.gov/news/press/2005-131.htm