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Question
of the Month -
November 2005
| Q: |
How do states measure up with respect to
the size of the state workforce? |
| A: |
The number of state employees varies
considerably from state to state. An incomplete, but useful, measure
of a state workforce is the number of citizens per state employee.
This calculation allows for broad comparisons, although a caveat here is
that in some instances public employees counted toward the state workforce
in one state may be considered employees of another jurisdiction elsewhere,
although they conduct the same functions. In the South, the average
number of citizens per state employee is 59, which is roughly equal to the
national average. In the region, the state with the greatest
population per state employee is Florida, with nearly 85 people per
employee, followed by Tennessee's 70 people per employee. The states
with the fewest citizens per state employee are Louisiana and West Virginia,
which both have 42 people per state employee.
Follow these links to view more 50-state comparisons
alphabetically or by
state population.
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics; U.S. Census Bureau.
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