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6 states and D.C. had at least one-fifth of their total jobs in government in May 2019

June 27, 2019

In May 2019, the share of total nonfarm employment in government was at least 20 percent in the District of Columbia (29.9 percent), Alaska (24.2 percent), Wyoming (23.9 percent), New Mexico (21.6 percent), Mississippi (20.7 percent), West Virginia (20.6 percent), and Oklahoma (20.5 percent).
Statewide employment in government as a percentage of total nonfarm employment, seasonally adjusted, May 2019
State Percent of total nonfarm employment in government Government employment, May 2019(p) Total nonfarm employment, May 2019(p)

District of Columbia

 29.9% 237,700 795,800

Alaska

 24.2 80,400 332,600

Wyoming

 23.9 69,100 289,600

New Mexico

 21.6 184,700 854,700

Mississippi

 20.7 241,800 1,165,800

West Virginia

 20.6 151,500 735,500

Oklahoma

 20.5 346,600 1,694,100

Hawaii

 19.2 126,400 658,200

Montana

 18.9 91,100 481,300

North Dakota

 18.9 82,400 436,100

Alabama

 18.7 388,600 2,072,900

Maryland

 18.4 508,100 2,759,700

Kansas

 18.2 259,900 1,425,700

South Dakota

 17.9 80,100 446,300

Virginia

 17.9 723,500 4,032,200

Vermont

 17.9 56,900 318,000

South Carolina

 17.1 373,400 2,179,300

Nebraska

 17.1 175,900 1,029,000

Idaho

 16.8 126,400 754,400

Washington

 16.7 584,600 3,490,500

Arkansas

 16.7 213,000 1,273,200

Louisiana

 16.5 326,500 1,982,800

Iowa

 16.3 259,300 1,590,100

Colorado

 16.2 448,600 2,766,500

Utah

 16.2 251,700 1,554,300

North Carolina

 16.1 735,200 4,559,500

Kentucky

 16.0 312,400 1,949,500

Maine

 15.9 100,200 630,300

Oregon

 15.4 299,000 1,944,200

Texas

 15.4 1,959,600 12,751,400

New York

 15.3 1,492,300 9,763,300

Georgia

 15.1 696,200 4,595,500

California

 15.0 2,616,200 17,425,500

Missouri

 15.0 436,800 2,913,600

Delaware

 14.5 67,400 464,800

Minnesota

 14.4 425,600 2,958,500

New Jersey

 14.4 602,300 4,193,800

Arizona

 14.3 418,300 2,920,300

Tennessee

 14.2 439,000 3,101,300

Connecticut

 14.0 236,600 1,694,000

Ohio

 13.9 779,100 5,593,600

Michigan

 13.7 606,300 4,438,400

Wisconsin

 13.5 403,700 2,982,000

Illinois

 13.4 829,700 6,174,100

Indiana

 13.4 424,900 3,167,000

New Hampshire

 13.0 89,200 688,800

Massachusetts

 12.5 457,300 3,667,300

Florida

 12.5 1,116,800 8,961,300

Rhode Island

 12.3 61,400 498,700

Pennsylvania

 11.7 706,500 6,051,400

Nevada

 11.3 162,700 1,434,200
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary.

California, Texas, and New York, the states with the highest total employment among all states, ranged from 15.0 to 15.4 percent of total employment in government in May 2019. Nevada had the lowest share of total employment in government, with 11.3 percent. Other states with low shares of total employment in government were Pennsylvania (11.7 percent), Rhode Island (12.3 percent), and Florida (12.5 percent), the state with the fourth-highest employment in the country.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. Government includes federal, state, and local government, including education. To learn more, see “State Employment and Unemployment — May 2019.” For more charts and tables related to state employment and unemployment, see the state chart package.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 6 states and D.C. had at least one-fifth of their total jobs in government in May 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/6-states-and-d-c-had-at-least-one-fifth-of-their-total-jobs-in-government-in-may-2019.htm (visited May 02, 2024).

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