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The political organizations industry—which includes political parties, political action committees (PACs), political campaign organizations, and political organizations and clubs that are engaged in promoting the interests of national, state, or local political parties or candidates—employs only a small portion of the U.S. workforce. Between January 2001 and September 2015, employment in political organizations has ranged from around 5,000 to over 20,000.
Month | Type of election year | Employment |
---|---|---|
Jan 2001 |
No national elections | 5,330 |
Feb 2001 |
No national elections | 5,175 |
Mar 2001 |
No national elections | 5,184 |
Apr 2001 |
No national elections | 5,297 |
May 2001 |
No national elections | 5,581 |
Jun 2001 |
No national elections | 5,889 |
Jul 2001 |
No national elections | 6,115 |
Aug 2001 |
No national elections | 6,387 |
Sep 2001 |
No national elections | 6,232 |
Oct 2001 |
No national elections | 6,473 |
Nov 2001 |
No national elections | 6,430 |
Dec 2001 |
No national elections | 6,300 |
Jan 2002 |
Congressional elections | 6,607 |
Feb 2002 |
Congressional elections | 7,179 |
Mar 2002 |
Congressional elections | 7,513 |
Apr 2002 |
Congressional elections | 7,841 |
May 2002 |
Congressional elections | 8,418 |
Jun 2002 |
Congressional elections | 9,522 |
Jul 2002 |
Congressional elections | 10,684 |
Aug 2002 |
Congressional elections | 11,532 |
Sep 2002 |
Congressional elections | 12,383 |
Oct 2002 |
Congressional elections | 12,475 |
Nov 2002 |
Congressional elections | 11,312 |
Dec 2002 |
Congressional elections | 7,272 |
Jan 2003 |
No national elections | 5,227 |
Feb 2003 |
No national elections | 5,175 |
Mar 2003 |
No national elections | 5,293 |
Apr 2003 |
No national elections | 5,353 |
May 2003 |
No national elections | 5,540 |
Jun 2003 |
No national elections | 5,812 |
Jul 2003 |
No national elections | 6,117 |
Aug 2003 |
No national elections | 6,358 |
Sep 2003 |
No national elections | 6,763 |
Oct 2003 |
No national elections | 7,450 |
Nov 2003 |
No national elections | 7,617 |
Dec 2003 |
No national elections | 7,644 |
Jan 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,334 |
Feb 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,596 |
Mar 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,403 |
Apr 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,519 |
May 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 9,460 |
Jun 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 11,404 |
Jul 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 13,436 |
Aug 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 14,411 |
Sep 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 15,212 |
Oct 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 19,981 |
Nov 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 15,646 |
Dec 2004 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 7,894 |
Jan 2005 |
No national elections | 5,431 |
Feb 2005 |
No national elections | 5,432 |
Mar 2005 |
No national elections | 5,499 |
Apr 2005 |
No national elections | 5,604 |
May 2005 |
No national elections | 5,824 |
Jun 2005 |
No national elections | 6,279 |
Jul 2005 |
No national elections | 6,499 |
Aug 2005 |
No national elections | 6,648 |
Sep 2005 |
No national elections | 6,681 |
Oct 2005 |
No national elections | 7,101 |
Nov 2005 |
No national elections | 6,963 |
Dec 2005 |
No national elections | 6,763 |
Jan 2006 |
Congressional elections | 7,106 |
Feb 2006 |
Congressional elections | 7,334 |
Mar 2006 |
Congressional elections | 7,701 |
Apr 2006 |
Congressional elections | 8,597 |
May 2006 |
Congressional elections | 9,339 |
Jun 2006 |
Congressional elections | 11,369 |
Jul 2006 |
Congressional elections | 12,496 |
Aug 2006 |
Congressional elections | 12,549 |
Sep 2006 |
Congressional elections | 13,157 |
Oct 2006 |
Congressional elections | 15,142 |
Nov 2006 |
Congressional elections | 13,588 |
Dec 2006 |
Congressional elections | 8,138 |
Jan 2007 |
No national elections | 6,384 |
Feb 2007 |
No national elections | 6,474 |
Mar 2007 |
No national elections | 6,761 |
Apr 2007 |
No national elections | 6,779 |
May 2007 |
No national elections | 7,246 |
Jun 2007 |
No national elections | 7,527 |
Jul 2007 |
No national elections | 8,142 |
Aug 2007 |
No national elections | 8,348 |
Sep 2007 |
No national elections | 8,458 |
Oct 2007 |
No national elections | 8,987 |
Nov 2007 |
No national elections | 9,097 |
Dec 2007 |
No national elections | 9,492 |
Jan 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 9,234 |
Feb 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,928 |
Mar 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,878 |
Apr 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 9,365 |
May 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 10,269 |
Jun 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 10,921 |
Jul 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 13,356 |
Aug 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 15,876 |
Sep 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 18,854 |
Oct 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 20,207 |
Nov 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 16,019 |
Dec 2008 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,177 |
Jan 2009 |
No national elections | 6,963 |
Feb 2009 |
No national elections | 6,590 |
Mar 2009 |
No national elections | 6,148 |
Apr 2009 |
No national elections | 6,163 |
May 2009 |
No national elections | 6,435 |
Jun 2009 |
No national elections | 6,967 |
Jul 2009 |
No national elections | 7,730 |
Aug 2009 |
No national elections | 7,924 |
Sep 2009 |
No national elections | 7,912 |
Oct 2009 |
No national elections | 8,589 |
Nov 2009 |
No national elections | 9,215 |
Dec 2009 |
No national elections | 9,047 |
Jan 2010 |
Congressional elections | 8,024 |
Feb 2010 |
Congressional elections | 8,231 |
Mar 2010 |
Congressional elections | 8,550 |
Apr 2010 |
Congressional elections | 9,308 |
May 2010 |
Congressional elections | 10,131 |
Jun 2010 |
Congressional elections | 11,749 |
Jul 2010 |
Congressional elections | 12,619 |
Aug 2010 |
Congressional elections | 13,087 |
Sep 2010 |
Congressional elections | 13,507 |
Oct 2010 |
Congressional elections | 16,205 |
Nov 2010 |
Congressional elections | 13,497 |
Dec 2010 |
Congressional elections | 8,311 |
Jan 2011 |
No national elections | 6,121 |
Feb 2011 |
No national elections | 5,866 |
Mar 2011 |
No national elections | 6,071 |
Apr 2011 |
No national elections | 6,362 |
May 2011 |
No national elections | 6,873 |
Jun 2011 |
No national elections | 6,974 |
Jul 2011 |
No national elections | 7,223 |
Aug 2011 |
No national elections | 7,612 |
Sep 2011 |
No national elections | 7,796 |
Oct 2011 |
No national elections | 7,871 |
Nov 2011 |
No national elections | 8,349 |
Dec 2011 |
No national elections | 7,683 |
Jan 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,128 |
Feb 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 8,426 |
Mar 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 9,113 |
Apr 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 10,012 |
May 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 11,763 |
Jun 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 13,326 |
Jul 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 14,458 |
Aug 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 14,945 |
Sep 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 16,376 |
Oct 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 19,073 |
Nov 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 16,221 |
Dec 2012 |
Congressional and presidential elections | 9,444 |
Jan 2013 |
No national elections | 6,709 |
Feb 2013 |
No national elections | 6,187 |
Mar 2013 |
No national elections | 6,299 |
Apr 2013 |
No national elections | 6,376 |
May 2013 |
No national elections | 6,596 |
Jun 2013 |
No national elections | 7,103 |
Jul 2013 |
No national elections | 7,684 |
Aug 2013 |
No national elections | 7,995 |
Sep 2013 |
No national elections | 7,875 |
Oct 2013 |
No national elections | 8,284 |
Nov 2013 |
No national elections | 8,248 |
Dec 2013 |
No national elections | 7,473 |
Jan 2014 |
Congressional elections | 7,626 |
Feb 2014 |
Congressional elections | 8,176 |
Mar 2014 |
Congressional elections | 8,554 |
Apr 2014 |
Congressional elections | 9,496 |
May 2014 |
Congressional elections | 11,142 |
Jun 2014 |
Congressional elections | 12,514 |
Jul 2014 |
Congressional elections | 13,456 |
Aug 2014 |
Congressional elections | 14,571 |
Sep 2014 |
Congressional elections | 15,399 |
Oct 2014 |
Congressional elections | 17,790 |
Nov 2014 |
Congressional elections | 15,600 |
Dec 2014 |
Congressional elections | 7,879 |
Jan 2015 |
No national elections | 6,628 |
Feb 2015 |
No national elections | 6,585 |
Mar 2015 |
No national elections | 6,754 |
Apr 2015 |
No national elections | 6,877 |
May 2015 |
No national elections | 7,238 |
Jun 2015 |
No national elections | 7,628 |
Jul 2015 |
No national elections | 7,933 |
Aug 2015 |
No national elections | 8,186 |
Sep 2015 |
No national elections | 8,270 |
Note: Data for 2015 are preliminary. |
Unlike most other industries, the political organizations industry is affected by the congressional and presidential election calendar. Presidential and (regularly scheduled) congressional elections are always held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, meaning that they always occur on November 2, November 8, or a day between those dates. Congressional elections occur in all even-numbered years. Presidential elections occur in even-numbered years divisible by 4. Odd-numbered years have no presidential elections and few, if any, congressional elections (although special elections are sometimes held to fill congressional vacancies). Elections for state, county, and municipal offices are often, but not always, held on the same day as congressional and presidential elections.
In even-numbered years over the 2001–15 period, political organizations employment has peaked in October (because most of November is after Election Day). Employment has been higher in years with both presidential and congressional elections than in years with only congressional elections. October employment reached 20,207 in 2008 and 19,073 in 2012 (years with presidential elections), but peaked at 16,205 in 2010 and 17,819 in 2014 (years with congressional elections but no presidential election).
Steep decreases have occurred after these election-year peaks. Employment lows occurred during the first 3 months of odd-numbered years (6,148 in March 2009; 5,866 in February 2011; 6,187 in February 2013; and 6,585 in February 1015). Employment rose during the remaining months of odd-numbered years.
To learn more, see Employment patterns in political organizations, in Beyond the Numbers, May 2016.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment in political organizations at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2016/employment-in-political-organizations.htm (visited October 31, 2024).