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Employment growth in government accelerated in 2023 (+709,000), exceeding growth in 2022 (+299,000) and 2021 (+392,000). Government employment recovered to its prepandemic level in September 2023, surpassing its February 2020 level by 209,000 in December 2023.
Employment in government, January 2013–December 2023
Month
Employment
Jan 2013
21,869,000
Feb 2013
21,881,000
Mar 2013
21,870,000
Apr 2013
21,869,000
May 2013
21,864,000
Jun 2013
21,840,000
Jul 2013
21,815,000
Aug 2013
21,831,000
Sep 2013
21,835,000
Oct 2013
21,830,000
Nov 2013
21,843,000
Dec 2013
21,820,000
Jan 2014
21,814,000
Feb 2014
21,825,000
Mar 2014
21,833,000
Apr 2014
21,853,000
May 2014
21,832,000
Jun 2014
21,895,000
Jul 2014
21,901,000
Aug 2014
21,855,000
Sep 2014
21,897,000
Oct 2014
21,917,000
Nov 2014
21,932,000
Dec 2014
21,947,000
Jan 2015
21,960,000
Feb 2015
21,978,000
Mar 2015
21,970,000
Apr 2015
22,005,000
May 2015
22,012,000
Jun 2015
22,015,000
Jul 2015
22,050,000
Aug 2015
22,060,000
Sep 2015
22,040,000
Oct 2015
22,056,000
Nov 2015
22,081,000
Dec 2015
22,097,000
Jan 2016
22,114,000
Feb 2016
22,138,000
Mar 2016
22,178,000
Apr 2016
22,184,000
May 2016
22,199,000
Jun 2016
22,180,000
Jul 2016
22,289,000
Aug 2016
22,284,000
Sep 2016
22,323,000
Oct 2016
22,295,000
Nov 2016
22,277,000
Dec 2016
22,304,000
Jan 2017
22,316,000
Feb 2017
22,326,000
Mar 2017
22,329,000
Apr 2017
22,335,000
May 2017
22,347,000
Jun 2017
22,360,000
Jul 2017
22,374,000
Aug 2017
22,310,000
Sep 2017
22,333,000
Oct 2017
22,361,000
Nov 2017
22,379,000
Dec 2017
22,384,000
Jan 2018
22,374,000
Feb 2018
22,419,000
Mar 2018
22,427,000
Apr 2018
22,444,000
May 2018
22,449,000
Jun 2018
22,482,000
Jul 2018
22,436,000
Aug 2018
22,468,000
Sep 2018
22,474,000
Oct 2018
22,479,000
Nov 2018
22,473,000
Dec 2018
22,511,000
Jan 2019
22,508,000
Feb 2019
22,525,000
Mar 2019
22,569,000
Apr 2019
22,619,000
May 2019
22,562,000
Jun 2019
22,604,000
Jul 2019
22,572,000
Aug 2019
22,625,000
Sep 2019
22,653,000
Oct 2019
22,670,000
Nov 2019
22,709,000
Dec 2019
22,726,000
Jan 2020
22,787,000
Feb 2020
22,867,000
Mar 2020
22,832,000
Apr 2020
21,915,000
May 2020
21,395,000
Jun 2020
21,428,000
Jul 2020
21,537,000
Aug 2020
21,987,000
Sep 2020
21,935,000
Oct 2020
21,764,000
Nov 2020
21,683,000
Dec 2020
21,676,000
Jan 2021
21,788,000
Feb 2021
21,777,000
Mar 2021
21,861,000
Apr 2021
21,913,000
May 2021
21,917,000
Jun 2021
22,018,000
Jul 2021
22,077,000
Aug 2021
22,091,000
Sep 2021
22,075,000
Oct 2021
22,036,000
Nov 2021
22,041,000
Dec 2021
22,068,000
Jan 2022
22,056,000
Feb 2022
22,053,000
Mar 2022
22,052,000
Apr 2022
22,085,000
May 2022
22,113,000
Jun 2022
22,115,000
Jul 2022
22,265,000
Aug 2022
22,264,000
Sep 2022
22,271,000
Oct 2022
22,301,000
Nov 2022
22,364,000
Dec 2022
22,367,000
Jan 2023
22,490,000
Feb 2023
22,551,000
Mar 2023
22,606,000
Apr 2023
22,653,000
May 2023
22,702,000
Jun 2023
22,757,000
Jul 2023
22,793,000
Aug 2023
22,853,000
Sep 2023
22,903,000
Oct 2023
22,970,000
Nov 2023
23,000,000
Dec 2023
23,076,000
Local government led the job gains, adding 351,000 jobs over the year, with gains in local government, excluding education (+189,000) and local government education (+162,000).
Over-the-year employment change in government, by component industry, 2023
Component
Employment change
Federal
85,000
Federal, except U.S. Postal Service
82,000
U.S. Postal Service
3,000
State government education
183,000
State government, excluding education
89,000
Local government education
162,000
Local government, excluding education
189,000
State government employment rose by 273,000 over the year; this was the largest calendar-year percentage gain in employment (+5.3 percent) since 1968, when state government employment increased by 5.6 percent. Within state government, state government education (+183,000) and state government, excluding education (+89,000) added jobs in 2023. Federal government added 85,000 jobs over the year, after adding 8,000 jobs in 2022.
United States Department of Labor
