An official website of the United States government
Over 16,000 people were employed in the political organizations industry in March 2020. Political organizations employment has been rising since early 2019. It has been above 10,000 since July 2019, which is the first time it has passed that level during a month in a year without any normally scheduled national elections.
Month | Election | 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 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,334 |
Feb 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,596 |
Mar 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,403 |
Apr 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,519 |
May 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 9,460 |
Jun 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 11,404 |
Jul 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 13,436 |
Aug 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 14,411 |
Sep 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 15,212 |
Oct 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 19,981 |
Nov 2004 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 15,646 |
Dec 2004 |
Presidential and congressional 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 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 9,234 |
Feb 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,928 |
Mar 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,878 |
Apr 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 9,365 |
May 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 10,269 |
Jun 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 10,921 |
Jul 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 13,356 |
Aug 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 15,876 |
Sep 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 18,854 |
Oct 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 20,207 |
Nov 2008 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 16,019 |
Dec 2008 |
Presidential and congressional 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 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,128 |
Feb 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 8,426 |
Mar 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 9,113 |
Apr 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 10,012 |
May 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 11,763 |
Jun 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 13,326 |
Jul 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 14,458 |
Aug 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 14,945 |
Sep 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 16,376 |
Oct 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 19,073 |
Nov 2012 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 16,221 |
Dec 2012 |
Presidential and congressional 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 | 6,623 |
Feb 2015 |
No national elections | 6,579 |
Mar 2015 |
No national elections | 6,748 |
Apr 2015 |
No national elections | 6,853 |
May 2015 |
No national elections | 7,216 |
Jun 2015 |
No national elections | 7,605 |
Jul 2015 |
No national elections | 7,892 |
Aug 2015 |
No national elections | 8,020 |
Sep 2015 |
No national elections | 8,118 |
Oct 2015 |
No national elections | 8,688 |
Nov 2015 |
No national elections | 8,895 |
Dec 2015 |
No national elections | 8,712 |
Jan 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 9,412 |
Feb 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 10,034 |
Mar 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 10,308 |
Apr 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 10,765 |
May 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 11,119 |
Jun 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 12,213 |
Jul 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 13,635 |
Aug 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 15,716 |
Sep 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 19,145 |
Oct 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 22,367 |
Nov 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 19,478 |
Dec 2016 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 7,825 |
Jan 2017 |
No national elections | 6,217 |
Feb 2017 |
No national elections | 6,337 |
Mar 2017 |
No national elections | 6,497 |
Apr 2017 |
No national elections | 6,986 |
May 2017 |
No national elections | 7,192 |
Jun 2017 |
No national elections | 7,630 |
Jul 2017 |
No national elections | 7,744 |
Aug 2017 |
No national elections | 8,059 |
Sep 2017 |
No national elections | 8,372 |
Oct 2017 |
No national elections | 8,828 |
Nov 2017 |
No national elections | 9,347 |
Dec 2017 |
No national elections | 8,806 |
Jan 2018 |
Congressional elections | 8,716 |
Feb 2018 |
Congressional elections | 9,493 |
Mar 2018 |
Congressional elections | 10,181 |
Apr 2018 |
Congressional elections | 11,336 |
May 2018 |
Congressional elections | 12,744 |
Jun 2018 |
Congressional elections | 15,082 |
Jul 2018 |
Congressional elections | 15,092 |
Aug 2018 |
Congressional elections | 16,868 |
Sep 2018 |
Congressional elections | 19,316 |
Oct 2018 |
Congressional elections | 23,724 |
Nov 2018 |
Congressional elections | 19,854 |
Dec 2018 |
Congressional elections | 9,281 |
Jan 2019 |
No national elections | 7,312 |
Feb 2019 |
No national elections | 7,438 |
Mar 2019 |
No national elections | 7,829 |
Apr 2019 |
No national elections | 7,879 |
May 2019 |
No national elections | 8,279 |
Jun 2019 |
No national elections | 9,449 |
Jul 2019 |
No national elections | 10,652 |
Aug 2019 |
No national elections | 11,388 |
Sep 2019 |
No national elections | 11,912 |
Oct 2019 |
No national elections | 13,294 |
Nov 2019 |
No national elections | 13,524 |
Dec 2019 |
No national elections | 13,171 |
Jan 2020 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 14,169 |
Feb 2020 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 15,575 |
Mar 2020 |
Presidential and congressional elections | 16,081 |
Note: Data for the most recent three months are preliminary. |
Over the 2001–2019 period, employment in political organizations has averaged about 7,300 in years with no national elections, 11,400 in years with congressional (but not presidential) elections, and 12,600 in years with presidential and congressional elections.
Employment in political organizations varies from month to month with the national election schedule. Since 2001, in years with no national elections, employment has ranged from 5,175 (in February 2001) to 13,535 (in November 2019). In years with congressional elections, employment has been as low as 6,607 (in January 2002) and as high as 23,724 (October 2018). In presidential election years, it has ranged between 7,825 and 22,367 (in December and October 2016).
These data are from the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages program. To obtain more employment data, visit the QCEW data retrieval tool. The political organizations industry includes political parties, political action committees (PACs), political campaign organizations, and political organizations and clubs that are engaged in promoting the interests of political parties or candidates.
Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, Employment in political organizations at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2020/employment-in-political-organizations.htm (visited October 08, 2024).