The Foreign Service Journal, January 2007

ner was not able to find satisfactory employment outside the embassy, while just 23 percent said they were. But a third of respondents (34 per- cent) credited post management with assisting their spouse or partner in the search, while just 23 percent said otherwise. Two-thirds of survey takers (65 percent) say their community liaison officer is active and enjoys front- office support. And the assertion that “Either through the CLO or on our own, my family has been able to find fun activities” attracted even greater support: 49 percent agreed strongly, with another 28 percent agreeing somewhat. In something of a surprise, 53 percent of respon- dents agree strongly that “Post housing is adequate in terms of space, location, furnishings, etc.” Quality of Life Issues The final set of questions, about life outside the workplace, garnered simi- larly enthusiastic feedback. Two- thirds of the respondents (69 percent) felt that their salary and differential/ allowances are sufficient to cover the cost of living at post. However, some members did note their intent to seek an assignment back in Washington in order to collect locality pay. Asked about medical services, 78 percent said the post either provided adequate care or made appropriate referrals to local providers. It appears that many employees have an incentive to avail them- selves of those services, for the single biggest complaint in the entire survey was about air pollution. Asked whether it was a major concern, 50 percent said it was (including 29 percent who feel that way strongly), while C O V E R S T O R Y J A N U A R Y 2 0 0 7 / F O R E I G N S E R V I C E J O U R N A L 31 Seventy-four percent said they would recommend their post to friends who are bidding, while 26 percent said they would not.