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6 states and D.C. had at least one-fifth of their total jobs in government in May 2019

June 27, 2019

In May 2019, the share of total nonfarm employment in government was at least 20 percent in the District of Columbia (29.9 percent), Alaska (24.2 percent), Wyoming (23.9 percent), New Mexico (21.6 percent), Mississippi (20.7 percent), West Virginia (20.6 percent), and Oklahoma (20.5 percent).

Statewide employment in government as a percentage of total nonfarm employment, seasonally adjusted, May 2019
State Percent of total nonfarm employment in government Government employment, May 2019(p) Total nonfarm employment, May 2019(p)

District of Columbia

29.9% 237,700 795,800

Alaska

24.2 80,400 332,600

Wyoming

23.9 69,100 289,600

New Mexico

21.6 184,700 854,700

Mississippi

20.7 241,800 1,165,800

West Virginia

20.6 151,500 735,500

Oklahoma

20.5 346,600 1,694,100

Hawaii

19.2 126,400 658,200

Montana

18.9 91,100 481,300

North Dakota

18.9 82,400 436,100

Alabama

18.7 388,600 2,072,900

Maryland

18.4 508,100 2,759,700

Kansas

18.2 259,900 1,425,700

South Dakota

17.9 80,100 446,300

Virginia

17.9 723,500 4,032,200

Vermont

17.9 56,900 318,000

South Carolina

17.1 373,400 2,179,300

Nebraska

17.1 175,900 1,029,000

Idaho

16.8 126,400 754,400

Washington

16.7 584,600 3,490,500

Arkansas

16.7 213,000 1,273,200

Louisiana

16.5 326,500 1,982,800

Iowa

16.3 259,300 1,590,100

Colorado

16.2 448,600 2,766,500

Utah

16.2 251,700 1,554,300

North Carolina

16.1 735,200 4,559,500

Kentucky

16.0 312,400 1,949,500

Maine

15.9 100,200 630,300

Oregon

15.4 299,000 1,944,200

Texas

15.4 1,959,600 12,751,400

New York

15.3 1,492,300 9,763,300

Georgia

15.1 696,200 4,595,500

California

15.0 2,616,200 17,425,500

Missouri

15.0 436,800 2,913,600

Delaware

14.5 67,400 464,800

Minnesota

14.4 425,600 2,958,500

New Jersey

14.4 602,300 4,193,800

Arizona

14.3 418,300 2,920,300

Tennessee

14.2 439,000 3,101,300

Connecticut

14.0 236,600 1,694,000

Ohio

13.9 779,100 5,593,600

Michigan

13.7 606,300 4,438,400

Wisconsin

13.5 403,700 2,982,000

Illinois

13.4 829,700 6,174,100

Indiana

13.4 424,900 3,167,000

New Hampshire

13.0 89,200 688,800

Massachusetts

12.5 457,300 3,667,300

Florida

12.5 1,116,800 8,961,300

Rhode Island

12.3 61,400 498,700

Pennsylvania

11.7 706,500 6,051,400

Nevada

11.3 162,700 1,434,200
Footnotes:

(p) = preliminary.

California, Texas, and New York, the states with the highest total employment among all states, ranged from 15.0 to 15.4 percent of total employment in government in May 2019. Nevada had the lowest share of total employment in government, with 11.3 percent. Other states with low shares of total employment in government were Pennsylvania (11.7 percent), Rhode Island (12.3 percent), and Florida (12.5 percent), the state with the fourth-highest employment in the country.

These data are from the Current Employment Statistics (State and Metro Area) program and are seasonally adjusted. Data for the most recent month are preliminary and subject to revision. Government includes federal, state, and local government, including education. To learn more, see “State Employment and Unemployment — May 2019.” For more charts and tables related to state employment and unemployment, see the state chart package.

SUGGESTED CITATION

Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, The Economics Daily, 6 states and D.C. had at least one-fifth of their total jobs in government in May 2019 at https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2019/6-states-and-d-c-had-at-least-one-fifth-of-their-total-jobs-in-government-in-may-2019.htm (visited December 05, 2024).

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