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The Atlantic's Derek Thompson notes that a new Gallup survey shows that nationwide, one in six people work for government at the local, state or federal levels. And no state has fewer than one in nine.
Here are the areas with the highest percentages of government employees in their workforces:
- Hawaii: 29.7 percent
- Alaska: 29.6 percent
- District of Columbia: 29.1 percent
- Maryland: 24.9 percent
- Virginia: 23.6 percent
Lest this seem like out-of-control government to you, Thompson also points out that "government employment is declining nationally by the sharpest annual rate since the 1940s." It's currently down to 2006 levels and continuing to drop. And worse yet, the people who are leaving often are unable to find jobs in the private sector.
Tom Shoop is vice president and editor in chief at Government Executive Media Group, where he oversees both print and online editorial operations. He started as associate editor of Government Executive magazine in 1989; launched the company’s flagship website, GovExec.com, in 1996; and was named editor in chief in 2007.
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