As the U.S. goes through a
major resurgence in COVID-19 cases, the local government continues to inch back toward its pre-pandemic employment levels.
But that’s about the end of the good news, such as it is, for government employment. The most recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show a loss for employment in state and local government when education is included — using seasonally adjusted numbers, education jobs have been receding lately.
If one excludes education, local government added 33,300 jobs in October, good for a half-point increase. State government jobs dropped slightly, and federal employment dropped amid Census-related trends.
Local government, excluding education, remains more than 4 percent lower than it was at the same time last year, illustrating the challenge most cities and counties are facing amid a recession and a monthslong lack of federal aid.
While
aid to state and local government has reportedly been a sticking point in negotiations over federal economic legislation, president-elect Joe Biden has
specifically named it as a priority in his transition plans.
Continuous updates available here.
Previous months of analysis: September, August, July, June, May, April
Ben Miller is the associate editor of data and business for Government Technology. His reporting experience includes breaking news, business, community features and technical subjects. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in journalism from the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, and lives in Sacramento, Calif.
