Study: Public employees make up 11.7% of the Pennsylvania workforce, 2nd lowest in U.S.

The share of the Pennsylvania workforce employed by local, state or federal governments was 11.7 percent prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the second lowest percentage among the 50 states, according to a new study from the website 24/7 Wall St.

The public-sector workers in Pennsylvania numbered 622,046, based on 2019 data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Employment Statistics unit. And since the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, more than 860,000 state and local public education jobs have been lost, according to the Economic Policy Institute.

Nationwide, the three levels of government employ about 20.2 million, representing nearly 15 percent of the U.S. workforce, 24/7 Wall St. reported. Education and library jobs make up nearly three-fourths of all government jobs, the study found.

The percentage of government workers varies significantly from state to state, according to 24/7 Wall St., from a low of 12 percent in Massachusetts to a high of 27 percent in Wyoming.

—

Share of Public-Sector Workers by State, From Highest to Lowest

RankStateShare of Wyoming Workers in Public SectorTotal Public Sector WorkersMedian Household Income1Wyoming27.2%65,061$65,0032New Mexico26.8%199,017$51,9453Alaska25.7%72,083$75,4634Hawaii25.6%129,987$83,1025Maryland25.1%674,913$86,7386Virginia22.5%834,882$76,4567Maine20.4%113,341$58,9248Montana19.6%82,218$57,1539Oklahoma19.2%288,327$54,44910West Virginia19.0%126,621$48,85011Louisiana18.1%304,950$51,07312North Dakota18.0%60,918$64,57713Vermont17.7%46,815$63,00114Washington17.6%565,169$78,68715Mississippi17.3%179,107$45,79216Utah17.2%241,158$75,78017Kansas16.9%217,184$62,08718New York16.9%1,279,183$72,10819Oregon16.7%282,884$67,05820Kentucky16.6%280,309$52,29521Alabama16.5%313,257$51,73422Iowa16.5%230,784$61,69123Colorado16.4%406,332$77,12724South Carolina16.4%333,822$56,22725Nebraska16.3%144,931$63,22926Delaware16.1%68,203$70,17627Arkansas15.9%184,419$48,95228Ohio15.9%762,977$58,64229California15.6%2,354,657$80,44030Idaho15.4%112,618$60,99931Minnesota15.4%387,487$74,59332Georgia15.3%638,027$61,98033New Jersey15.2%567,949$85,75134South Dakota15.0%57,698$59,53335Texas14.9%1,733,846$64,03436Nevada14.9%180,044$63,27637Wisconsin14.6%379,240$64,16838Tennessee14.3%382,690$56,07139Arizona14.3%414,557$62,05540North Carolina14.1%583,766$57,34141Missouri14.0%354,086$57,40942New Hampshire13.8%86,758$77,93343Rhode Island13.8%62,685$71,16944Florida13.5%1,103,050$59,22745Connecticut12.9%196,755$78,83346Michigan12.4%492,883$59,58447Illinois12.3%636,737$69,18748Indiana11.7%332,370$57,60349Pennsylvania11.7%622,046$63,46350Massachusetts11.7%349,461$85,843

Source: 24/7 Wall St.

Disclaimer: This content is distributed by The Center Square