[Analytical Perspectives]
[Special Analyses and Presentations]
[10. Federal Employment and Compensation]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]
10. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT AND COMPENSATION
This section provides information on 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.
Government Reform Initiative
The first priority of the President's Government reform initiatives is
to make Government citizen-centered. This means ensuring that there is
as little distance as possible between the citizens and decision-makers.
To shrink the distance between citizens and Cabinet members, the
Administration will flatten the Federal hierarchy, reduce the number of
layers in the upper echelons of Government, and use workforce planning
to help agencies and redistribute higher-level positions to front-line,
service-delivery positions that interact with citizens. The
Administration will also seek legislation to provide new and expanded
workforce restructuring tools.
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.
Table 10-1 provides agency-wide totals from the 1998 base through
2002.
Allocations of FTE resources by agency are made based upon
Presidential priorities and other factors. While many of the agencies in
Table 10-1 show FTE reductions between 1998 and 2002, several agencies,
such as the Department of Justice, show an increase in FTEs. In
addition, the sharp 2000 increase in the Department of Commerce was due
to the additional staffing needs associated with conducting the 2000
Census.
Recent Trends in Civilian Employment Estimates in the Executive Branch
Each year the Budget reports actual FTEs in the prior year column, and
estimates of FTEs in the current and budget years. Current year FTE
estimates for nearly all agencies in the Budget have been over-stated
when compared to the actual published in the following year's Budget.
The table below shows this trend:
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Year Estimate Actual Over-Statement
------------------------------------------------------------------------
1998........................ 1,837.4 1,790.2 +47,200 (+2.6%)
1999........................ 1,801.6 1,778.4 +23,200 (+1.3%)
2000........................ 1,856.9 1,814.3 +42,600 (+2.3%)
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Federal Employment Levels
The tables that follow show total Federal employment in all branches
of Government, as well as 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 214]]
Table 10-1. FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH
(Civilian employment as measured by Full-Time Equivalents, in thousands)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual Estimate Change: 1998 to
-------------------------------------------------- 2002
Agency -------------------
1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 FTE's Percent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Cabinet agencies:
Agriculture............................. 96.4 95.5 95.1 97.9 97.8 1.4 1.4%
Commerce................................ 35.7 47.3 113.3 39.7 37.0 1.3 3.6%
Defense-military functions.............. 707.2 681.0 660.3 641.1 641.1 -66.2 -9.4%
Education............................... 4.5 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.7 0.2 5.2%
Energy.................................. 16.3 15.9 15.6 16.4 16.3 0.1 0.3%
Health and Human Services............... 57.9 58.9 60.5 63.5 64.9 7.0 12.1%
Housing and Urban Development........... 9.8 10.0 10.1 10.3 10.3 0.5 4.9%
Interior................................ 66.5 67.0 67.3 69.9 69.4 2.9 4.3%
Justice................................. 117.3 121.3 122.8 129.1 134.9 17.6 15.0%
Labor................................... 16.3 16.3 16.3 17.7 17.5 1.2 7.6%
State................................... 26.4 26.9 27.3 27.7 27.8 1.4 5.2%
Transportation.......................... 63.4 63.7 63.0 65.0 65.9 2.6 4.1%
Treasury................................ 142.1 143.7 143.7 148.4 150.9 8.8 6.2%
Veterans Affairs........................ 207.1 205.5 202.6 205.9 204.7 -2.4 -1.2%
Other agencies--excluding Postal Service:
Agency for International Development.... 2.7 2.5 2.4 2.4 2.5 -0.2 -7.7%
Broadcasting Board of Governors........... 2.4 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.5 0.1 4.2%
Corps of Engineers...................... 24.8 24.7 24.8 24.8 24.8 ........ 0.2%
Environmental Protection Agency......... 17.7 18.1 17.7 18.0 17.5 -0.2 -1.3%
EEOC.................................... 2.5 2.6 2.9 3.1 3.1 0.5 20.1%
FEMA.................................... 4.6 5.2 4.6 4.9 5.0 0.4 8.0%
FDIC/RTC................................ 7.9 7.4 7.1 6.7 6.5 -1.4 -17.3%
General Services Administration......... 14.1 14.1 14.0 14.2 14.2 0.1 0.7%
NASA.................................... 19.1 18.5 18.4 19.0 19.0 -0.1 -0.5%
National Archives and Records Admin..... 2.4 2.4 2.5 2.7 2.7 0.3 13.1%
National Labor Relations Board.......... 1.9 1.8 1.9 2.0 2.0 0.1 6.5%
National Science Foundation............. 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 ........ 1.9%
Nuclear Regulatory Commission........... 3.0 2.8 2.8 2.8 2.8 -0.2 -5.5%
Office of Personnel Management.......... 2.8 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0 0.2 7.6%
Panama Canal Commission................. 9.6 9.2 2.4 0.0 0.0 -9.6 -100.0%
Peace Corps............................. 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.2 0.1 10.8%
Railroad Retirement Board............... 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.2 1.2 -0.1 -10.0%
Securities and Exchange Commission...... 2.8 2.8 2.8 3.0 3.0 0.2 8.0%
Small Business Administration........... 4.4 4.7 4.3 4.2 4.1 -0.2 -5.5%
Smithsonian Institution................. 5.0 5.1 5.0 5.2 5.2 0.1 2.8%
Social Security Administration............ 64.0 63.0 62.4 63.2 63.5 -0.5 -0.9%
Tennessee Valley Authority.............. 14.4 13.5 13.2 13.2 13.1 -1.3 -9.1%
All other small agencies................ 13.6 13.9 14.0 15.8 15.9 2.3 16.8%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, Executive Branch civilian 1,790.2 1,778.4 1,814.3 1,751.4 1,757.1 -33.2 -1.9%
employment...............................
Subtotal, Defense......................... 707.2 681.0 660.3 641.1 641.1 -66.2 -9.4%
Subtotal, Non-Defense..................... 1,083.0 1,097.4 1,154.0 1,110.3 1,116.0 33.0 3.0%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
[[Page 215]]
Table 10-2. TOTAL FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT
(As measured by total positions filled)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Actual as of September 30 Change: 1998 to 2000
Description ----------------------------------------------------------
1998 1999 2000 Positions Percent
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive branch civilian employment:
All agencies except Postal Service and Postal Rate
Commission:
Full-time permanent.............................. 1,624,152 1,603,944 1,584,338 -39,814 -2.5%
Other than full-time permanent \1\............... 231,644 216,353 199,643 -32,001 -13.8%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal....................................... 1,855,796 1,820,297 1,783,981 -71,815 -3.9%
Postal Service: \2\
Full-time permanent................................ 660,987 670,272 666,528 5,541 0.8%
Other than full-time permanent..................... 210,533 196,121 194,249 -16,284 -7.7%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal......................................... 871,520 866,393 860,777 -10,743 -1.2%
==========================================================
Subtotal, Executive branch civilian employment..... 2,727,316 2,686,690 2,644,758 -82,558 -3.0%
Military personnel on active duty: \3\
Department of Defense.............................. 1,406,830 1,385,703 1,384,338 -22,492 -1.6%
Department of Transportation (Coast Guard)......... 35,459 35,740 36,157 698 2.0%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, military personnel..................... 1,442,289 1,421,443 1,420,495 -21,794 -1.5%
==========================================================
Subtotal, Executive Branch..................... 4,169,605 4,108,133 4,065,253 -104,352 -2.5%
Legislative Branch:
Full-time permanent................................ 12,399 12,183 11,970 -429 -3.5%
Other than full-time permanent..................... 18,075 18,170 19,187 1,112 6.2%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Legislative Branch..................... 30,474 30,353 31,157 683 2.2%
Judicial Branch:
Full-time permanent................................ 28,487 28,875 28,938 451 1.6%
Other than full-time permanent..................... 3,255 3,321 3,248 -7 -0.2%
----------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, Judicial Branch........................ 31,742 32,196 32,186 444 1.4%
==========================================================
Grand Total.......................................... 4,231,821 4,170,682 4,128,596 -103,225 -2.4%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDENDUM
Executive branch civilian personnel (excluding Postal
Service):
DOD-Military functions \4\......................... 692,552 665,679 651,247 -41,305 -6.0%
All other executive branch......................... 1,163,244 1,154,618 1,132,734 -30,510 -2.6%
----------------------------------------------------------
Total \5\........................................ 1,855,796 1,820,297 1,783,981 -71,815 -3.9%
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes Summer Aides, Stay-in-school, Junior Fellowship, Worker-Trainee Opportunity Program.
\2\ Includes Postal Rate Commission.
\3\ Excludes reserve components.
\4\ Excludes Defense Intelligence Agency.
\5\ Includes disadvantaged youth programs.
[[Page 216]]
Table 10-3. TOTAL FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT
(As measured by Full-Time Equivalents)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimate Change: 2000 to
2000 -------------------- 2002
Description actual -------------------
2001 2002 FTE's Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Executive branch civilian personnel:
All agencies except Postal Service and Defense...................................................... 1,153,96 1,110,32 1,116,00 -37,968 -3.3%
8 9 0
Defense-Military functions (civilians).............................................................. 660,285 641,055 641,055 -19,230 -2.9%
-------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, excluding Postal Service................................................................ 1,814,25 1,751,38 1,757,05 -57,198 3.2%
3 4 5
Postal Service \1\.................................................................................. 848,353 841,002 828,052 -20,301 -2.4%
=================================================
Subtotal, Executive Branch civilian personnel..................................................... 2,662,60 2,592,38 2,585,10 -77,499 -2.9%
6 6 7
Executive branch uniformed personnel: \2\
Department of Defense............................................................................... 1,380,94 1,378,69 1,378,69 -2,255 -0.2%
7 2 2
Department of Transportation (Coast Guard).......................................................... 35,716 35,934 35,132 -584 1.6%
-------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, uniformed military personnel............................................................ 1,416,66 1,414,62 1,413,82 -2,839 -0.2%
3 6 4
=================================================
Subtotal, Executive Branch........................................................................ 4,079,26 4,007,01 3,998,93 -80,338 -2.0%
9 2 1
Legislative Branch: \3\ Total FTE \3\................................................................. 31,192 31,513 33,333 2,141 6.9%
Judicial branch: Total FTE............................................................................ 31,230 33,302 34,277 3,047 9.8%
=================================================
Grand Total....................................................................................... 4,141,69 4,071,82 4,066,54 -75,150 -1.8%
1 7 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes Postal Rate Commission.
\2\ Military personnel on active duty. Excludes reserve components. Data shown for Department of Defense are average strengths, not FTEs.
\3\ Actual 2000 FTE data not available for legislative branch.
[[Page 217]]
TABLE 10-4. PERSONNEL COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
(In millions of dollars)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Estimate Change: 2000 to 2002
Description 2000 actual -----------------------------------------------------------
2001 2002 Dollars Percent
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Civilian personnel costs:
Executive Branch (excluding Postal Service):
Direct compensation:
DOD--military functions............................................... 32,301 32,825 33,281 980 3.0%
All other executive branch............................................ 63,024 65,138 68,406 5,382 8.5%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, direct compensation....................................... 95,325 97,963 101,687 6,362 6.7%
Personnel benefits:
DOD--military functions............................................... 7,472 7,541 7,720 248 3.3%
All other executive branch \1\........................................ 24,801 26,103 27,004 2,203 8.9%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal, personnel benefits........................................ 32,273 33,644 34,724 2,451 7.6%
===========================================================================
Subtotal, executive branch........................................ 127,598 131,607 136,411 8,813 6.9%
Postal Service:
Direct compensation..................................................... 36,981 38,274 39,032 2,051 5.5%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 11,116 11,963 12,447 1,331 12.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 48,097 50,237 51,479 3,382 7.0%
Legislative Branch: \2\
Direct compensation..................................................... 1,375 1,454 1,554 179 13.0%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 315 341 376 61 19.4%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 1,690 1,795 1,930 240 14.2%
Judicial Branch:
Direct compensation..................................................... 1,907 2,191 2,368 461 24.2%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 493 535 598 105 21.3%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 2,400 2,726 2,966 566 23.6%
===========================================================================
Total, civilian personnel costs....................................... 179,785 186,365 192,786 13,001 7.2%
Military personnel costs:
DOD--Military Functions:
Direct compensation..................................................... 51,489 53,141 56,690 5,201 10.1%
Personnel benefits...................................................... 18,886 19,093 20,127 1,241 6.6%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal.............................................................. 70,375 72,234 76,817 6,442 9.2%
All other executive branch, uniformed personnel:
Direct compensation....................................................... 1,321 1,394 1,505 184 13.9%
Personnel benefits........................................................ 150 149 159 9 6.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Subtotal................................................................ 1,471 1,543 1,664 193 13.1%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total, military personnel costs \3\....................................... 71,846 73,777 78,481 6,635 9.2%
===========================================================================
Grand total, personnel costs................................................ 251,631 260,142 271,267 19,636 7.8%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ADDENDUM
Former Civilian Personnel:
Retired pay for former personnel.......................................... 46,144 48,464 50,705 4,561 9.9%
Government payment for Annuitants:
Employee health benefits.............................................. 5,049 5,572 6,102 1,053 20.9%
Employee life insurance............................................... 27 32 33 6 22.2%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Former Civilian Personnel............................................. 51,220 54,068 56,840 5,620 11.0%
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Former Military personnel:
Retired pay for former personnel.......................................... 33,556 35,025 36,128 2,572 7.7%
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
\1\ Includes transfers from general revenues in addition to employing agency's contributions for the cost of employee benefits. The transfers amounted
to $9118 million in 2000 and are estimated to be $9,162 million in 2001 and $9,229 million in 2002.
\2\ Excludes members and officers of the Senate.
\3\ Excludes reserve components.