Louisiana, despite a government workforce decline since 2013, had the 9th-highest number of state and local government workers per 10,000 residents last year at 281.2, Governing reports.
Nationwide, there were 233 state and local government employees, excluding teachers, for every 10,000 Americans, the same rate as five years ago, according to Governing’s calculations based on the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment and Payroll. That’s about 48 fewer government workers per 10,000 than Louisiana’s figure.
Louisiana lost just over four government workers per 10,000 residents compared to 2013 numbers, putting the state at the high-end for the number of workers it has, but at the low-end for how much that number has changed.
Alaska and Arizona sustained the largest declines in government workers. Arizona lost about 22 government workers per 10,000 residents, the steepest drop nationally, and Alaska lost 20.
North Dakota added 19 noneducation government workers per 10,000 residents over the five-year period, the most nationally.
It’s worth noting that some changes in employment may have more to do with shifting work from contractors to public employees or vice versa than any changes in providing services.
Nationally, it’s local governments, rather than states, that are expanding their payrolls. Read the full story from Governing.
