Employment in political organizations, by state

Only a small number of people are employed in the political organizations industry—which includes political parties, political action committees (PACs), political campaign organizations, and political organizations and clubs. This number varies considerably over time. The political organizations industry is affected by the congressional and presidential election calendar, which follows a 4-year cycle. Congressional elections occur in all even-numbered years. Presidential elections occur in even-numbered years that are divisible by four. Odd-numbered years have no presidential elections and few congressional elections. Special elections are sometimes held in odd-numbered years to fill congressional vacancies that occur unexpectedly. Elections for state, county, and municipal offices are often, but not always, held on the same day as congressional and presidential elections.

Over the 2001–2013 period, political organizations employment averaged 8,900 nationwide, though it varies from month to month. Employment in political organizations reached its recent peak (19,073) in October 2012, just before the congressional and presidential elections in November of that year. Just 4 months later, in February 2013, employment had declined to a post-election minimum (6,187), a 68-percent decrease. 

Variations in political organizations employment are particularly large at the state level. As political organizations respond to national, state, and local election schedules, it is not uncommon to see over-the-month decreases of 100 percent or increases of 100 percent or more. Recent large percentage changes in political organizations employment include an increase of 147 percent in Arizona, where employment increased from 43 to 106 from September to October 2013, the largest of a string of double-digit percentage changes that year. In the same year, employment increased 200 percent (from 93 to 279) in Massachusetts from February to March. Political organizations employment decreased over 80 percent in several states from November to December 2012.

These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW) program. A decrease of 100 percent in a given state might mean that there is no employment remaining in the political organizations industry in that state or it might indicate that BLS is unable to publish data for that state because they do not meet standards of confidentiality.