Infographic: State and Local Employment Is Down, But Not Everywhere

By: and - October 7, 2011 12:00 am

There are nearly half a million fewer state and local employees now than there were three years ago, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. An annual employment survey conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau gives an indication of where some of those cuts were made. There were nearly 9,000 fewer firefighters and police officers in March 2010 than two years earlier, according to the Census survey, and more than 16,000 fewer state and local hospital employees. Those reductions are fairly unusual. This marks only the second recession since 1973 that has seen a reduction in state and local employees , according to the Rockefeller Institute of Government. “What we are seeing is a diminution of some very important services,” says Robert Ward, the institute’s deputy director. “And I suspect that we will see a lot more of that.”

 

50-state data for state and local employees:

State Jul
2008
Aug
2011
Jul 2008 — Jul 2011
change
Alabama 331.8 319.5 -3.7%
Alaska 65.2 66.6 2.1%
Arizona 373.4 352.4 -5.6%
Arkansas 191.8 198.7 3.6%
California 2270.1 2120.1 -6.6%
Colorado 332 336.3 1.3%
Connecticut 232.6 221.3 -4.9%
Delaware 57.2 57.6 0.7%
Florida 997.7 961.2 -3.7%
Georgia 593.9 550.4 -7.3%
Hawaii 92.5 85.5 -7.6%
Idaho 107.5 107.8 0.3%
Illinois 768.2 758.6 -1.2%
Indiana 406.8 381.5 -6.2%
Iowa 234.2 233.8 -0.2%
Kansas 231.4 233.1 0.7%
Kentucky 282.5 288.1 2.0%
Louisiana 333.4 322.5 -3.3%
Maine 89.6 85.2 -4.9%
Maryland 362 365.2 0.9%
Massachusetts 389.2 384.5 -1.2%
Michigan 601.6 578.5 -3.8%
Minnesota 384.1 376.1 -2.1%
Mississippi (Local) 157.4 159.7 1.5%
Missouri 389.7 389.9 0.1%
Montana 74.9 74.6 -0.4%
Nebraska 147.1 152 3.3%
Nevada 145.9 133.8 -8.3%
New Hampshire 87.1 86.5 -0.7%
New Jersey 589.2 567.9 -3.6%
New Mexico 166.7 161.1 -3.4%
New York 1402.6 1377.5 -1.8%
North Carolina 639.1 616.4 -3.6%
North Dakota 67 69.3 3.4%
Ohio 718.4 689.2 -4.1%
Oklahoma 282.1 291.4 3.3%
Oregon 271.3 262.3 -3.3%
Pennsylvania 639.9 634.7 -0.8%
Rhode Island 53.5 50.5 -5.6%
South Carolina 314.3 296.8 -5.6%
South Dakota 64.4 65.6 1.9%
Tennessee 379.4 372 -2.0%
Texas 1591.1 1645.4 3.4%
Utah 176.6 179.3 1.5%
Vermont 47.9 46.2 -3.5%
Virginia 533.9 528.2 -1.1%
Washington 478.6 463.8 -3.1%
West Virginia 124.2 125.7 1.2%
Wisconsin 390.8 390.8 0.0%
Wyoming 62.2 69.2 11.3%
Numbers are in thousands
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics

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