[The US has experienced significant growth over the past 40 years, with federal spending increasing from $900 billion in 1984 to more than $7 trillion in 2024. However, the size of the federal workforce has remained relatively static, with a slight variation of a few hundred thousand workers over the years.
Contrary to popular presumption, the number of federal workers has not increased dramatically with federal spending. In fact, as of 1984, there were about 2.96 million civilian employees receiving full-time paychecks from the federal government, compared to around 3 million today, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The number of full-time federal workers has been relatively static since the 1960s.
However, there is a dynamic component to the federal workforce, with hundreds of thousands of employees coming and going each year. This can lead to a sense of stagnation, with new hires often being offset by departing employees.
Some argue that the government has become too large and inefficient, with agencies employing large numbers of workers even when their work is no longer necessary. However, others point out that the government’s responsibilities have expanded significantly, and that many employees are working on important tasks, such as monitoring and regulating industries, providing social services, and conducting scientific research.
The current effort to shrink the size of the government may not be as simple as just cutting back on employees. For example, some agencies, like the Department of Education, employ only a few thousand people, while larger agencies like the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Pentagon employ hundreds of thousands.
The government’s workforce is also dispersed across the country, with 80% of its employees based outside of Washington, D.C. Firing recently hired employees, as suggested by Musk and Ramaswamy, could have unintended consequences, such as scaring away future hires and displacing employees hired for specific roles, like implementing the bipartisan infrastructure law passed during the Biden administration.
Experts agree that there is room for bipartisanship in efforts to modernize the federal workforce and improve government efficiency. However, it is important to consider the complexity of the federal government and its many responsibilities, as well as the needs of the American people.
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