Jobs in Government

The New York Times highlighted this study from the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute, which found that although overall employment has plunged during the recession, employment at state and local governments has risen by 110,000--an increase at least in part due to the stimulus program. As private jobs decline and government jobs increase or hold steady, the overall percentage of Americans working in government has increased, according to the report.

This doesn't include federal employment--believe it or not, the number of federal employees in the U.S. is easily dwarfed by the number of state and local employees, at least according to the report's numbers. But it's still interesting. State and local governments can be feeders to the federal government, providing an easy access point for those who are interested in public service.