{"id":45054,"date":"2025-05-15T09:30:15","date_gmt":"2025-05-15T13:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/?post_type=pps_fed_figures&#038;p=45054"},"modified":"2025-05-15T08:44:58","modified_gmt":"2025-05-15T12:44:58","slug":"a-guide-to-federal-workforce-data","status":"publish","type":"pps_fed_figures","link":"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/fed-figures\/a-guide-to-federal-workforce-data\/","title":{"rendered":"A Guide to Federal Workforce Data"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Given the intense focus currently on the federal workforce due to Trump administration cutbacks, it is important to understand what data about federal employees is available, what it can tell us and its limitations. The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/performance-measures\/fed-figures\/\">publishing analyses<\/a>&nbsp;using federal workforce data from the Office of Personnel Management\u2019s FedScope database for many years, but there are several datasets that offer different information about federal workers.&nbsp;While these sources largely do not provide real-time, detailed information on the changes currently happening, they offer a valuable baseline on the federal workforce.&nbsp;In this Fed Figures report, we provide an overview of three different datasets\u2014from OPM, the Census Bureau and the Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2014and what each can tell us about the federal workforce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Sources of Data on the Federal Workforce\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/YeGwV\/2\/#?secret=dAwNsi3px7\" data-secret=\"dAwNsi3px7\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"485\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-fedscope\">FedScope<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-source\">The Source<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.fedscope.opm.gov\/\">FedScope<\/a>\u00a0is an online tool provided by the Office of Personnel Management that offers data about most executive branch federal employees. The information available via FedScope comes from the Enterprise Human Resources Integration dataset, which compiles employment data provided by individual agencies across the government. FedScope data is available for the months at the end of the quarters of the federal fiscal year (December, March, June and September), but OPM often needs months to process and provide the data after a quarter has ended.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>FedScope offers a variety of detailed information about the federal workforce in the executive branch, including employment counts by agency, state, occupation, appointment type and a variety of other&nbsp;factors. Although some federal employees are not included in FedScope\u2014including the U.S. Postal Service, most of the intelligence community and most legislative and judicial branch employees\u2014this tool is the most comprehensive source of detailed data on the composition of the federal workforce.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-data\">The Data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>According to FedScope, there were 2,313,216 career federal employees as of September 2024, the most recent data currently available. The table below, showing federal employees by agency type, demonstrates the type of data available via this tool.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Federal Employment by Agency Type (FedScope, Sept. 2024)\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/16Ni2\/2\/#?secret=SYGSfPgBpg\" data-secret=\"SYGSfPgBpg\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"436\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>FedScope data can be filtered to show only the core full-time, nonseasonal permanent federal workforce\u2014those who work full-time and year-round in positions that do not have a set expiration date. Data for this segment of the federal workforce, which encompasses the vast majority of federal employees, can be seen in our&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/fed-figures\/a-profile-of-the-2023-federal-workforce\/\">overview of the federal workforce in fiscal year 2023<\/a>. The table above, however, includes data for all employees covered in FedScope, including part-time employees and those who work in seasonal jobs.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To understand the geographic distribution of those 2.3 million employees, FedScope provides information on federal employees by state, as seen below. However, FedScope does not provide data on the distribution of the federal workforce within more granular geographic areas, such as counties or congressional districts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Federal Employees by State (FedScope, Sept. 2024)\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/81p1J\/2\/#?secret=Oftnx0l9dh\" data-secret=\"Oftnx0l9dh\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"796\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-american-community-survey\">American Community Survey<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-source-0\">The Source<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The Census Bureau\u2019s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.census.gov\/programs-surveys\/acs\">American Community Survey<\/a>, administered each year, also contains data on the number of federal employees.&nbsp;The ACS collects a variety of data about the American population on topics including demographics, housing and employment.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Counts of federal employees from the ACS rely on respondents self-reporting as federal civilian employees. FedScope, in contrast, contains official data from agencies.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In understanding the federal workforce, data from the American Community Survey is most useful for counts of federal employee locations below the state level because ACS provides estimates for federal employees by congressional district and by county.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, while location data from FedScope is based on duty station\u2014where employees work\u2014location data from the ACS is based on the respondents\u2019 place of residence. So, for example, a federal employee who works in Washington, D.C. but lives in Virginia would be counted in the former in FedScope data, and in the latter in the ACS data.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-data-0\">The Data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The most recent ACS data is from 2023.&nbsp;Unlike data from FedScope, ACS data does not provide an exact count but offers estimates with margins of error.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The map&nbsp;below demonstrates what ACS can tell us about the federal workforce\u2014showing the estimated 2023 federal workforce by congressional district. This data shows even more clearly the broad distribution of the federal workforce around the country.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Federal Civilian Workforce by Congressional District, 2023\" aria-label=\"Map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-LB1QA\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/LB1QA\/5\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"border: none;\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe>\n\n\n\n<p>ACS data also can be used for estimates of federal employees by county. As an example, the map below shows the 2023 estimates for federal employees by county in Colorado.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<iframe title=\"Federal Employees by Colorado County (ACS, 2023)\" aria-label=\"Map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-cmVPT\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/cmVPT\/2\/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"626\" data-external=\"1\"><\/iframe><script type=\"text\/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r,i=0;r=e[i];i++)if(r.contentWindow===a.source){var d=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";r.style.height=d}}}))}();\n<\/script>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:50px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-bureau-of-labor-statistics\">Bureau of Labor Statistics<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-source-1\">The Source<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Another source of data on the size of the federal workforce comes from the Bureau of Labor Statistics\u2019&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.bls.gov\/ces\/\">Current Employment Statistics<\/a>&nbsp;program. This data covers employment across a variety of sectors of the American workforce, including the federal government.&nbsp;CES data measures non-farm employment, which means the overall numbers exclude those working in agriculture. CES estimates are produced each month from a survey of businesses and government agencies which provide information on their employment numbers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The CES data includes information on the size of the overall government workforce\u2014including employees in local and state governments as well as the federal government. This data source is most useful for tracking monthly trends in federal employment and for understanding the size of the federal government in comparison to other industries, other levels of government and employment overall.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-the-data-1\">The Data<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>The most recent CES data, from April 2025, estimates federal employment, including the U.S. Postal Service, at 2,989,000.&nbsp;The table below shows the CES estimate of federal government employment in comparison with the estimates for employment at other levels of government and total non-farm employment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-wp-embed is-provider-datawrapper wp-block-embed-datawrapper\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe class=\"wp-embedded-content\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" title=\"Government and Total Employment (CES, April 2025)\" src=\"https:\/\/datawrapper.dwcdn.net\/1R7sR\/3\/#?secret=3XnqYiQz4z\" data-secret=\"3XnqYiQz4z\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"494\"><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Given the intense focus currently on the federal workforce due to Trump administration cutbacks, it is important to understand what data about federal employees is available, what it can tell us and its limitations. The nonpartisan, nonprofit Partnership for Public Service has been&nbsp;publishing analyses&nbsp;using federal workforce data from the Office of Personnel Management\u2019s FedScope database&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","pps_fed_figures_type":[11831],"pps_fed_figures_topic":[],"pps_fed_figures_tag":[],"class_list":["post-45054","pps_fed_figures","type-pps_fed_figures","status-publish","hentry","pps_fed_figures_type-full-analysis"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.2 (Yoast SEO v26.2) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>A Guide to Federal Workforce Data &#8226; Partnership for Public Service<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Partnership for Public Service is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that strives for a more effective government for the American people.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ourpublicservice.org\/fed-figures\/a-guide-to-federal-workforce-data\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A Guide to Federal Workforce Data\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Given the intense focus currently on the federal workforce due to Trump administration cutbacks, it is important to understand what data about federal employees is available, what it can tell us and its limitations. 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