Government Employment Same Rate as 1976

[Toro]

Toro, I have seen many a graph claiming that such employment has risen sharply, and now hovers around 50%. Are the authors of such graphs just flat out lying?

Two things about those graphs. First, they are near the bottom of the recession. The private sector always sheds more jobs during a recession and hires more during a recovery. Thus, there's some data mining in those graphs. If you did the same graph for the end of 2006, it would look dramatically different.

Second, its disingenuous. Why only measure construction and manufacturing jobs? Both are minorities in the broad economy. The private service sector is much greater. Manufacturing jobs have been steadily declining for years, and construction jobs have undergone one of the biggest booms and busts of all time.

There is a stale debate that periodically pops up here about Bush and Obama regarding job growth. Those pimping Bush fail to realize that by some estimates, roughly half of all jobs created under Bush were directly or indirectly related to the construction and mortgage finance industries. Both were huge beneficiaries of one of the biggest bubbles of all time. With the Housing Bubble, job growth would have been nowhere near as strong under Bush. Now, that's definitely not Bush's fault. But its also not right (mostly) to blame Obama for this mess. Its a joke to hear people try to explain that the stimulus and Obamacare are keeping unemployment high. I'm sure that is true to a small extent, but a third of the 8 million jobs lost in this recession are related to the collapse of the Housing Bubble, and its probably about half if you include the jobs lost due to the multiplier affect. WTF is the administration supposed to do? Inflate another housing bubble? Tax cuts are going to bring back jobs lost forever because of the collapse of one of the biggest bubbles of all time? Are you kidding me? What are these people smoking? Half the jobs during the last expansion were due to the Housing Bubble and half the jobs lost were due to the collapse. That's Obama's fault? That's Bush's fault? People are clueless. There are deeper structural problems in this country. We'll work through them, but the cacophony is tiresome.

 

[loosecannon]

Government workers as a percentage of the population is about the same as it was 35 years ago. There are relatively fewer federal employees than at any time since at least 1976. Those blips are temporary census workers.

In fact, if you exclude those employed in education, the rate of government employment has fallen since 1976. Teachers and others working in education account for nearly half of all government employees.

Calculated Risk: Government Employment since 1976

I looked at the link and saw no indication that the stats were comprehensive, meaning inclusive of military, military contractors, police, prisons etc.

Because if not they tell a damning tale or two.

 

[Skull Pilot]

What is a "large government"??

Is 2% of the population a large amount? We have over 300 million people and the largest economy on earth ....and yet we have a smaller government percentage wise than any other industrialized country

Government eats up nearly 50% of GDP I would say that's pretty fucking big.

We should get the cost of government below 30% of GDP then and only then will we see meaningful economic growth.

Below 30%?? Lets see which countries are below 30%

The Audacious Epigone: Government spending as a percentage of GDP by country

106. Sri Lanka 29.5
107. South Korea 29.3
108. Chile 29.1
109. Madagascar 28.3
110. Panama 28.0
111. Pakistan 28.0
112. Albania 27.9
113. Burkina Faso 27.7
114. Uganda 27.6
115. Tunisia 27.4
116. Mexico 26.7
117. Paraguay 26.4
118. Nepal 26.3
119. Nicaragua 26.0
120. Ecuador 25.8
121. Honduras 25.6
122. Aruba 25.6
123. Togo 25.3
124. Benin 24.8
125. Tanzania 24.6
126. Nigeria 24.1
127. Equatorial Guinea 23.9
128. Sudan 23.3
129. Congo, Dem. Rep. of 22.9
130. Thailand 22.8
131. El Salvador 22.5
132. China 22.0
133. Ethiopia 21.8
134. British Virgin Islands 21.5
135. Cote d'Ivoire 21.4
136. Poland 21.2
137. Taiwan 21.2
138. Mauritius 21.2
139. Laos 21.0
140. Guinea 21.0
141. Russia 20.9
142. India 20.4
143. Chad 19.9
144. US 19.9
145. Cameroon 19.1
146. Argentina 19.1
147. Armenia 17.8
148. Philippines 17.7
149. Brazil 17.3
150. Hong Kong 17.0
151. Guatemala 16.7
152. CAR 16.6
153. Costa Rica 16.5
154. Haiti 16.4
155. Singapore 16.3
156. Bahamas 16.0
157. Cambodia 13.3
158. Bangladesh 12.8
159. Turkmenistan 9.6
160. Afghanistan 9.2

so you're implying that when our government ate up less than 30% of GDP that we were no better than the countries in your list?

History tells us you are wrong.

 

[Skull Pilot]

What is a "large government"??

Is 2% of the population a large amount? We have over 300 million people and the largest economy on earth ....and yet we have a smaller government percentage wise than any other industrialized country

Government eats up nearly 50% of GDP I would say that's pretty fucking big.

We should get the cost of government below 30% of GDP then and only then will we see meaningful economic growth.

That may be, but the total cost of running the federal government is about a day or two of total government spending over a year. That doesn't mean government workers aren't overpaid. What it means is that you could fire every single government employee and it would barely cause a ripple in total spending. Most government spending is for defense, social security and medicare.

I never said it was the payroll alone.

The whole shebang has to be pared down.

 

[KissMy]

the total cost of running the federal government is about a day or two of total government spending over a year. That doesn't mean government workers aren't overpaid. What it means is that you could fire every single government employee and it would barely cause a ripple in total spending. Most government spending is for defense, social security and medicare.

There is a heck of a lot of money paid out to government employees that is buried in the spending on SS, Defense & Medicare. A whole lot more is siphoned off or funneled to these government officials & employees. Such as brothers of congressmen getting $90 Million stimulus dollars.

 

[rightwinger]

the total cost of running the federal government is about a day or two of total government spending over a year. That doesn't mean government workers aren't overpaid. What it means is that you could fire every single government employee and it would barely cause a ripple in total spending. Most government spending is for defense, social security and medicare.

There is a heck of a lot of money paid out to government employees that is buried in the spending on SS, Defense & Medicare. A whole lot more is siphoned off or funneled to these government officials & employees. Such as brothers of congressmen getting $90 Million stimulus dollars.

nonsense

 

[Charles_Main]

I think the cost is higher, particularly when you include pensions and benefits. Government employee pension plans will be a problem in the future.

The pension plans alone are a massive cost and continue to grow out of control.

 

[KissMy]

the total cost of running the federal government is about a day or two of total government spending over a year. That doesn't mean government workers aren't overpaid. What it means is that you could fire every single government employee and it would barely cause a ripple in total spending. Most government spending is for defense, social security and medicare.

There is a heck of a lot of money paid out to government employees that is buried in the spending on SS, Defense & Medicare. A whole lot more is siphoned off or funneled to these government officials & employees. Such as brothers of congressmen getting $90 Million stimulus dollars.

nonsense

Congressman Russ Carnahan Voted In Favor Of The $787 Billion Conference Report To The "Stimulus" Bill, Which Became Law. His sister Robin Carnahan who is running for the Senate also Supports this Obama's Stimulus bill & has enjoyed campaign appearances by President Obama to help her win the senate. Tom Carnahan, brother to Russ & Robin Carnahan to receive $90 million from the $787 Billion Stimulus Bill.

I also worked for 3 different companies for 15 years who often sold equipment to government facilities. Most of the time large kickbacks of up to 50% were required to win the contracts. This sometimes required a 100% increase in the contract price so the salesman could split the money for taking the risk. It was standard operating procedure. Salesmen that were connected with government officials did well.

 

[uscitizen]

Umm I don't figure that chart covered contract workers?

 

[rightwinger]

I think the cost is higher, particularly when you include pensions and benefits. Government employee pension plans will be a problem in the future.

The pension plans alone are a massive cost and continue to grow out of control.

Government employees have been under Social Security since 1984. Their pensions are not massive and most of what is accumulated is contributed by the employee and not the taxpayer.
The costs of employee benefits are paid off anually and not passed off as a future debt to the taxpayer

 

[Toro]

I think the cost is higher, particularly when you include pensions and benefits. Government employee pension plans will be a problem in the future.

The pension plans alone are a massive cost and continue to grow out of control.

Government employees have been under Social Security since 1984. Their pensions are not massive and most of what is accumulated is contributed by the employee and not the taxpayer.
The costs of employee benefits are paid off anually and not passed off as a future debt to the taxpayer

State employee pension plans are a disaster waiting to happen.

 

[saveliberty]

Government workers as a percentage of the population is about the same as it was 35 years ago. There are relatively fewer federal employees than at any time since at least 1976. Those blips are temporary census workers.

In fact, if you exclude those employed in education, the rate of government employment has fallen since 1976. Teachers and others working in education account for nearly half of all government employees.

Calculated Risk: Government Employment since 1976

Key phrase there is government payroll. This graph excludes any subcontracted work, temp agency jobs and quasi-government positions. Just repackage and it is all good.

 

[loosecannon]

Government workers as a percentage of the population is about the same as it was 35 years ago. There are relatively fewer federal employees than at any time since at least 1976. Those blips are temporary census workers.

In fact, if you exclude those employed in education, the rate of government employment has fallen since 1976. Teachers and others working in education account for nearly half of all government employees.

Calculated Risk: Government Employment since 1976

I looked at the link and saw no indication that the stats were comprehensive, meaning inclusive of military, military contractors, police, prisons etc.

Because if not they tell a damning tale or two.

 

[bodecea]

Government pensions are guaranteed by tax payers (guaranteed to break the tax payers). The only guarantee the taxpayers are afforded is a $100K FDIC Bank Account. Government employees million dollar pensions are backed by us. Besides the fact that they make double what the private sector makes with job guaranteed by us while we twist in the wind with losses from their bad decisions. They also benefit heavily from corruption, kickbacks & bribes for their policy's that benefit their rich benefactors at the expense of the citizens.

Interesting rant......do you have anything to back it up?

Your chart is cute but it does not compare similar jobs only gross pay. Since an overwhelming majority of Federal Employees have advanced degrees...is it relevant to compare their salaries to non-dgreed workers?

One thing is for sure. You are a overpaid scumbag government employee that can't even spell, who feeds off hard working citizens & has the nerve to justify government crime. You do all this as you mock sewer workers with your avatar.

Oh dear...he struck a nerve.