[Analytical Perspectives]
[Special Analyses and Presentations]
[10. Federal Employment]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
10. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSATION
This section provides information on civilian employment policy as
well as civilian and military employment, and personnel compensation and
benefits, in the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial branches. A
comparison of Federal employment levels, State and local government
employment, and the United States population appears in the Historical
Tables. Additional tables on civilian employment reductions appear in
the Budget volume.
Civilian Employment Policy
The Administration policy is to provide executive branch agencies
with flexibility to hire the right numbers of staff to meet program
requirements. While it is not the norm, agency or sub-agency employment
targets may be necessary when it is determined to be the most efficient
or effective method of achieving Administration goals.
Federal Civilian Employment in the Executive Branch
Civilian employment in the Executive Branch is measured on the basis
of full-time equivalents (FTEs). One FTE is equal to one work year or
2,080 non-overtime hours. Put simply, one full-time employee counts as
one FTE, and two half-time employees also count as one FTE.
The Federal Workforce Restructuring Act (FWRA) of 1994 (P.L. 103-226)
was enacted March 30, 1994. The Act established FTE limitations
(``ceilings'') for Executive Branch civilian employees through 1999. The
starting point used to calculate FTE reductions required by the FWRA is
called the 1993 base--the estimate of FTEs for 1993 made in January of
that year. Between base 1993 and FY 1999, the Act requires a cut of
272,900 FTEs. The 1999 budget continues the implementation of the
reductions pursuant to the Act. The limitations established by the Act,
as well as the reductions to date, are as follows:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cumulative Reduction
FWRA Civilian reduction as percent
Year ceiling FTEs from 1993 of 272,900
base cut
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1993 Base....................................................... 2,155,200
1994............................................................ 2,084,600 2,052,700 -102,500 38%
1995............................................................ 2,043,300 1,970,200 -185,000 68%
1996............................................................ 2,003,300 1,891,700 -263,500 97%
1997............................................................ 1,963,300 1,835,400 -320,500 117%
1998 est........................................................ 1,922,300 1,837,400 -317,800 116%
1999 est........................................................ 1,882,300 1,824,200 -331,100 121%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table 10-1 provides agency-wide totals from the 1993 base through
1999.
Allocations of FTE resources by agency are made based upon
Presidential priorities and other factors. Thus, while most of the
agencies in Table 10-1 show FTE reductions between 1993 and 1999,
several agencies, such as the Department of Commerce and the Department
of Justice, show an increase in FTEs.
Total Federal Employment Levels
The tables that follow show total Federal employment in all branches
of Government, including the U.S. Postal Service, Postal Rate
Commission, and active duty uniformed military personnel. Table 10-2
displays total Federal employment as measured by actual positions
filled, i.e., the total number of employees, whether full-time, part-
time or intermittent, at the end of the fiscal year. Table 10-3 shows
total Federal employment as measured on an FTE basis.
Personnel Compensation and Benefits
Table 10-4 displays personnel compensation and benefits for all
branches of Government, as well as for military personnel.
Direct compensation of the Federal work force includes base pay and
premium pay, such as overtime. In addition, it includes other cash
components, such as geographic pay differentials (i.e., locality pay,
and special pay adjustments for law enforcement officers), recruitment
and relocation bonuses, retention allowances, performance awards, and
cost-of-living and overseas allowances.
In the case of military personnel, compensation includes basic pay,
special and incentive pays (including enlistment and reenlistment
bonuses), and allowances for clothing, housing, and subsistence.
Related compensation in the form of personnel benefits for current
employees consists of the cost to Government agencies (as an employer)
primarily for health insurance, life insurance, Social Security (old
age, survivors, disability, and health insurance) and contributions to
the retirement funds to finance future retirement benefits. Compensation
for former personnel includes outlays for retirement pay benefits, and
the Government's share of the cost of health and life insurance.
[[Page 228]]
Table 10-1. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
(Civilian employment as measured by Full-Time Equivalents, in thousands)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual Estimate Change: 1993 base
1993 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- to 1999
Agency Base -------------------
1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 FTE's Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cabinet agencies:
Agriculture \1\................................... 115.6 114.4 109.8 103.8 100.7 98.5 99.0 97.1 -18.6 -16.1%
Commerce.......................................... 36.7 36.1 36.0 35.3 33.8 32.6 38.3 44.2 7.4 20.2%
Defense-military functions........................ 931.3 931.8 868.3 821.7 778.9 745.8 731.0 708.5 -222.8 -23.9%
Education......................................... 5.0 4.9 4.8 4.8 4.7 4.5 4.6 4.6 -0.4 -8.0%
Energy............................................ 20.6 20.3 19.8 19.7 19.1 17.3 17.1 16.6 -4.0 -19.3%
Health and Human Services \1\..................... 65.0 66.1 62.9 59.3 57.2 57.6 58.5 59.8 -5.1 -7.9%
Social Security Administration.................... 65.4 64.8 64.5 64.6 64.0 65.2 65.7 63.9 -1.5 -2.3%
Housing and Urban Development..................... 13.6 13.3 13.1 12.1 11.4 11.0 10.4 10.0 -3.6 -26.7%
Interior.......................................... 79.3 78.1 76.3 72.0 66.7 65.7 67.6 69.1 -10.2 -12.9%
Justice........................................... 99.4 95.4 95.3 97.9 103.8 111.0 119.8 125.4 26.0 26.1%
Labor............................................. 18.3 18.0 17.5 16.8 16.0 15.9 16.7 17.0 -1.3 -7.2%
State............................................. 26.0 25.6 25.2 23.9 22.9 22.4 22.9 23.2 -2.8 -10.9%
Transportation.................................... 70.3 69.1 66.4 63.2 62.4 62.5 64.9 65.9 -4.5 -6.3%
Treasury.......................................... 166.1 161.1 157.3 157.5 151.1 145.5 146.0 147.9 -18.2 -10.9%
Veterans Affairs \1\.............................. 232.4 234.2 233.1 228.5 221.9 211.5 206.0 203.9 -28.5 -12.3%
Other agencies--excluding Postal Service:
Agency for International Development\1\........... 4.4 4.1 3.9 3.6 3.4 2.8 2.9 2.8 -1.5 -35.1%
Corps of Engineers................................ 29.2 28.4 27.9 27.7 27.1 26.0 26.1 25.6 -3.6 -12.3%
Environmental Protection Agency................... 18.6 17.9 17.6 17.5 17.2 17.0 18.0 18.4 -0.2 -1.1%
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission........... 2.9 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.7 2.6 2.6 2.7 -0.1 -3.8%
Federal Emergency Management Agency............... 2.7 4.0 4.9 4.6 4.7 5.1 4.7 4.7 1.9 70.2%
FDIC/RTC.......................................... 21.6 21.9 20.0 15.7 11.8 8.7 8.5 7.7 -13.9 -64.3%
General Services Administration................... 20.6 20.2 19.5 17.0 15.7 14.5 14.1 14.0 -6.6 -32.2%
National Aeronautics and Space Administration..... 25.7 24.9 23.9 22.4 21.1 20.1 19.6 18.7 -7.0 -27.3%
National Archives and Records Administration...... 2.8 2.6 2.6 2.4 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 -0.2 -6.5%
National Labor Relations Board.................... 2.1 2.1 2.1 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 -0.2 -10.7%
National Science Foundation....................... 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 -0.1 -10.7%
Nuclear Regulatory Commission..................... 3.4 3.4 3.3 3.2 3.1 3.0 3.0 3.0 -0.4 -13.0%
Office of Personnel Management.................... 6.2 5.9 5.3 4.2 3.4 2.8 3.0 3.0 -3.2 -51.6%
Panama Canal Commission........................... 8.7 8.5 8.5 8.8 9.0 9.5 10.0 10.0 1.3 14.8%
Peace Corps....................................... 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.3 0.0 1.7%
Railroad Retirement Board......................... 2.0 1.8 1.7 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.2 -0.6 -34.8%
Securities and Exchange Commission................ 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 0.1 3.2%
Small Business Administration..................... 4.0 5.6 6.3 5.7 4.7 4.5 4.7 4.9 0.9 22.8%
Smithsonian Institution........................... 5.9 5.5 5.4 5.3 5.1 5.0 5.2 5.3 -0.6 -9.6%
Tennessee Valley Authority........................ 19.1 17.3 18.6 16.6 16.0 14.9 14.4 13.8 -5.4 -28.1%
United States Information Agency.................. 8.7 8.3 8.1 7.7 7.0 6.6 6.7 6.7 -1.9 -22.4%
All other small agencies.......................... 16.1 15.4 15.0 15.1 14.1 13.9 14.6 14.7 -1.4 -9.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Executive Branch civilian employment......... 2,155.2 2,138.8 2,052.7 1,970.2 1,891.7 1,834.7 1,837.4 1,824.2 -331.1 -15.4%
Reduction from 1993 Base.......................... ........ -16.4 -102.5 -185.0 -263.5 -320.5 -317.8 -331.1 ........ ........
Subtotal, Defense................................... 931.3 931.8 868.3 821.7 778.9 745.8 731.0 708.5 -222.8 -23.9%
Subtotal, Non-Defense............................... 1,223.9 1,207.1 1,184.4 1,148.4 1,112.8 1,088.9 1,106.4 1,115.6 -108.3 -8.8%
===================================================================================================
Status of Federal Civilian Employment Relative to
the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act \2\
Total, Executive Branch Employment................ ........ ........ 2,052.7 1,970.2 1,891.7 1,834.7 1,837.4 1,824.2 ........ ........
Less: FTEs exempt from FWRA....................... ........ ........ 5.7 5.7 7.6 7.4 5.4 5.5 ........ ........
Total, Executive Branch subject to FWRA Ceiling... ........ ........ 2,047.0 1,964.4 1,884.1 1,827.3 1,832.0 1,818.7 ........ ........
FWRA Ceiling...................................... ........ ........ 2,084.6 2,043.3 2,003.3 1,963.3 1,922.3 1,882.3 ........ ........
Executive Branch Employment Relative to FWRA
Ceiling.......................................... ........ ........ -37.6 -78.9 -119.2 -136.1 -90.3 -63.6 ........ ........
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\1\ The Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, Veterans Affairs, and the Agency for International Development have components that are
exempt from FTE controls. In 1999, Agriculture has 2,128 exemptions; HHS has 342 exemptions; Veterans Affairs has 3,020 exemptions and AID has 10
exemptions.
\2\ FTE liminations are set for the Executive Branch in the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994 (P.L. 103-226) from 1994-99.
[[Page 229]]
Table 10-2. TOTAL FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT
(As measured by total positions filled)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual as of September 30 Change: 1995 to 1997
Description ----------------------------------------------------------
1995 1996 1997 Positions Percent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive branch civilian employment:
All agencies except Postal Service and Postal Rate
Commission:
Full-time permanent.............................. 1,768,006 1,707,974 1,651,599 -116,447 -6.6%
Other than full-time permanent \1\............... 244,463 225,957 220,232 -24,231 -9.9%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal....................................... 2,012,469 1,933,931 1,871,791 -140,678 -7.0%
==========================================================
Postal Service: \2\
Full-time permanent................................ 647,269 652,855 648,684 1,415 0.2%
Other than full-time permanent..................... 198,179 199,478 204,666 6,487 3.3%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal......................................... 845,448 852,333 853,350 7,902 0.9%
==========================================================
Subtotal, Executive branch civilian employment..... 2,857,917 2,786,264 2,725,141 -132,776 -4.6%
==========================================================
Military personnel on active duty: \3\
Department of Defense.............................. 1,518,224 1,471,722 1,438,562 -79,662 -5.2%
Department of Transportation (Coast Guard)......... 36,731 35,243 35,137 -1,594 -4.3%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, military personnel..................... 1,554,955 1,506,965 1,473,699 -81,256 -5.2%
==========================================================
Subtotal, Executive Branch..................... 4,412,872 4,293,229 4,198,840 -214,032 -4.9%
==========================================================
Legislative branch:
Full-time permanent................................ 14,603 13,288 12,696 -1,907 -13.1%
Other than full-time permanent..................... 18,764 18,259 18,659 -105 -0.6%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Legislative Branch..................... 33,367 31,547 31,355 -2,012 -6.0%
----------------------------------------------------------
Judicial Branch:
Full-time permanent................................ 26,555 26,879 27,567 1,012 3.8%
Other than full-time permanent..................... 2,438 2,702 3,074 636 26.1%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Judicial Branch........................ 28,993 29,581 30,641 1,648 5.7%
==========================================================
Grand total.......................................... 4,475,322 4,354,357 4,260,836 -214,396 -4.8%
==========================================================
ADDENDUM
Executive branch civilian personnel (excluding Postal
Service):
DOD-Military functions \4\ 802,141 768,098 723,032 -79,109 -9.9%
All other executive branch......................... 1,210,328 1,165,833 1,148,759 -61,569 -5.1%
----------------------------------------------------------
Total \5\........................................ 2,012,469 1,933,931 1,871,791 -140,678 -7.0%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes Summer Aides, Stay-in-school, Junior Fellowship, Worker-Trainee Opportunity Program, formerly
exempt from employment controls.
\2\ Includes Postal Rate Commission.
\3\ Excludes reserve components.
\4\ Excludes Defense Intelligence Agency.
\5\ Includes disadvantaged youth programs.
[[Page 230]]
Table 10-3. TOTAL FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT
(As measured by Full-Time Equivalents)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimate Change: 1997 to 1999
Description 1997 ---------------------------------------------
actual 1998 1999 FTE's Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive branch civilian personnel:
All agencies except Postal Service and Defense.............................................. 1,088,945 1,106,409 1,115,611 26,666 2.4%
Defense-Military functions (civilians)...................................................... 745,750 731,025 708,542 -37,208 -5.0%
---------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, excluding Postal Service........................................................ 1,834,695 1,837,434 1,824,153 -10,542 -0.6%
Postal Service \1\.......................................................................... 826,178 837,754 844,297 18,199 2.2%
---------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Executive Branch civilian personnel............................................. 2,660,873 2,675,188 2,668,450 7,577 0.3%
=========================================================
Executive branch uniformed personnel: \2\
Department of Defense....................................................................... 1,454,854 1,427,233 1,402,846 -52,008 -3.6%
Department of Transportation (Coast Guard).................................................. 34,988 35,455 35,538 550 1.6%
---------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, uniformed military personnel.................................................... 1,489,842 1,462,688 1,438,384 -51,458 -3.5%
---------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Executive Branch................................................................ 4,150,713 4,137,876 4,106,834 -43,879 -1.1%
=========================================================
Legislative Branch: \3\ Total FTE............................................................. 31,420 31,356 31,492 72 0.2%
=========================================================
Judicial branch: Total FTE.................................................................... 29,001 32,452 33,459 4,458 15.4%
=========================================================
Grand total............................................................................... 4,211,136 4,201,684 4,171,785 -39,351 -0.9%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes Postal Rate Commission.
\2\ Military personnel on active duty. Excludes reserve
\3\ Actual 1997 FTE data not available for legislative branch.
[[Page 231]]
TABLE 10-4.PERSONNEL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
(In millions of dollars)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimate Change: 1997 to 1999
Description 1997 actual -----------------------------------------------------------
1998 1999 Dollars Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Civilian personnel costs:
Executive Branch (excluding Postal Service):
Direct compensation:
DOD--military functions............................................... 31,705 32,578 32,256 551 1.7%
All other executive branch............................................ 53,307 55,757 57,728 4,421 8.3%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, direct compensation....................................... 85,012 88,335 89,984 4,972 5.8%
Personnel benefits:
DOD--military functions............................................... 7,017 6,869 6,842 -175 -2.5%
All other executive branch \1\........................................ 20,603 21,688 22,545 1,942 9.4%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, personnel benefits........................................ 27,620 28,557 29,387 1,767 6.4%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, executive branch........................................ 112,632 116,892 119,371 6,739 6.0%
===========================================================================
Postal Service:
Direct compensation..................................................... 33,965 34,910 36,359 2,394 7.0%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 8,978 9,601 9,922 944 10.5%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 42,943 44,511 46,281 3,338 7.8%
===========================================================================
Legislative Branch: \2\
Direct compensation..................................................... 1,244 1,273 1,350 106 8.5%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 295 281 303 8 2.7%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 1,539 1,554 1,653 114 7.4%
Judicial Branch:
Direct compensation..................................................... 1,507 1,773 1,875 368 24.4%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 371 424 455 84 22.6%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 1,878 2,197 2,330 452 24.1%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, civilian personnel costs....................................... 158,992 165,154 169,635 10,643 6.7%
===========================================================================
Military personnel costs:
DOD--Military Functions:
Direct compensation..................................................... 49,304 50,360 50,951 1,647 3.3%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 18,151 16,843 16,949 -1,202 -6.6%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 67,455 67,203 67,900 445 0.7%
All other executive branch, uniformed personnel:
Direct compensation....................................................... 1,146 1,169 1,220 74 6.5%
Personnel benefits........................................................ 111 117 121 10 9.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 1,257 1,286 1,341 84 6.7%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, military personnel costs \3\ .................................... 68,712 68,489 69,241 529 0.8%
===========================================================================
Grand total, personnel costs................................................ 227,704 233,643 238,876 11,172 4.9%
===========================================================================
ADDENDUM
Former Civilian Personnel:
Retired pay for former personnel......................................... 42,366 44,126 46,052 3,686 8.7%
Government payment for Annuitants:
Employee health benefits.............................................. 3,934 4,147 4,632 698 17.7%
Employee life insurance.............................................. 28 32 35 7 25.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Former Civilian Personnel......................................... 46,328 48,305 50,719 4,391 9.5%
Former Military personnel:
Retired pay for former personnel.......................................... 559 595 625 66 11.8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ In addition to the employing agency's contribution to the costs of life and health insurance, retirement and Medicare Hospital insurance, this
amount includes transfers from general revenues to amortize the effects of general pay increases on Federal retirement systems for employees in the
Legislative and Judicial Branches as well as employees (non-Postal) in the Executive Branch and to amortize supplemental liabilities under FERS. The
transfers amounted to $8,085 million in 1997 and are estimated to be $8,367 million in 1998 and $8,682 million in 1999.
\2\ Excludes members and officers of the Senate.
\3\ Excludes reserve components.