In 2021, around 18.28 million people were working for state and local governments in the United States. This is much higher than the number of federal government (civilian) employees, which stood at about 2.85 million people in that year.
Number of governmental employees in the U.S. from 1982 to 2021
* Figures for state and local are as of March each year from 1997 onwards, and October for prior years. No survey was conducted in 1996 due to this change.
Values have been rounded.
Cumulative data for state and local government can be accessed here.
Federal Government Employees taken from the bureau of Labor Statistics' Current Employment Statistics, and reflect an annual average which is available here. Select "One Screen" for "Employment, Hours, and Earnings - National", then: "All Employees, Thousands" for box 1, "Government" for box 2, and "Federal" for 3. Select 'not seasonally adjusted data' for March each year are used to align figures with local and state government data.
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US Census Bureau, & Bureau of Labor Statistics. (May 12, 2022). Number of governmental employees in the U.S. from 1982 to 2021 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/204535/number-of-governmental-employees-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, und Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Number of governmental employees in the U.S. from 1982 to 2021." Chart. May 12, 2022. Statista. Accessed June 27, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/204535/number-of-governmental-employees-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2022). Number of governmental employees in the U.S. from 1982 to 2021. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: June 27, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/204535/number-of-governmental-employees-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau, and Bureau of Labor Statistics. "Number of Governmental Employees in The U.S. from 1982 to 2021." Statista, Statista Inc., 12 May 2022, https://www.statista.com/statistics/204535/number-of-governmental-employees-in-the-us/
US Census Bureau & Bureau of Labor Statistics, Number of governmental employees in the U.S. from 1982 to 2021 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/204535/number-of-governmental-employees-in-the-us/ (last visited June 27, 2022)
