The Institute of Social & Economic Research
Financial
Assistance
provided by:
| Comparisons | |||||
| Budget History |
| General Fund |
| Appropriations |
| Operating Spending |
| Outlays |
| Jobs |
| Payroll |
| Budget Shifting |
3. Budget History
3.5 Employment
The number of public employees is a common indicator of the size of government. One way to measure state workers is by the number of positions approved in the budget. State government employment growth since 1990 has been small.
(See also the Comparison to the U.S. average.)
| Budgeted State Employment | |||
|
Fiscal
Year
|
Full
Time
|
Part
Time
|
Temporary
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
1980
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
1981
|
13,073
|
2,560
|
438
|
|
1982
|
14,036
|
2,030
|
495
|
|
1983
|
15,665
|
2,913
|
383
|
|
1984
|
16,262
|
3,098
|
470
|
|
1985
|
16,578
|
3,030
|
566
|
|
1986
|
16,763
|
3,083
|
512
|
|
1987
|
16,038
|
3,194
|
668
|
|
1988
|
15,788
|
3,247
|
1,365
|
|
1989
|
16,245
|
3,506
|
604
|
|
1990
|
16,457
|
3,296
|
1,283
|
|
1991
|
16,861
|
3,160
|
1,438
|
|
1992
|
16,933
|
3,058
|
1,095
|
|
1993
|
16,741
|
3,030
|
1,273
|
|
1994
|
17,143
|
2,961
|
1,302
|
|
1995
|
17,544
|
2,891
|
1,411
|
|
1996
|
17,595
|
2,828
|
1,315
|
|
1997
|
17,064
|
2,797
|
1,377
|
|
1998
|
17,158
|
2,543
|
1,188
|
|
1999
|
17,572
|
2,784
|
424
|
|
2000
|
17,825
|
2,791
|
422
|
|
2001
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
2002 |
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Source: Legislative Finance. | |||
Several other estimates are available that generally show the same pattern. The Alaska Department of Labor averages the number of government workers on the job each month over the calendar year (full-, part-time, and temporary). The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis does the same calculation from the perspective of Washington, D.C. The U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of the Census also estimates government employment during a specific month during the year. (They include some local government workers in their state figures.)
| State Government Employment | |||
|
Year
|
Alaska
Dept. of Labor
|
USDC BEA |
USDC
Census
|
|
1965
|
6,994
|
-
|
6,721
|
|
1966
|
7,677
|
-
|
7,174
|
|
1967
|
8,105
|
-
|
7,559
|
|
1968
|
8,684
|
-
|
8,297
|
|
1969
|
9,329
|
-
|
8,837
|
|
1970
|
10,363
|
-
|
9,350
|
|
1971
|
11,730
|
-
|
11,000
|
|
1972
|
13,277
|
-
|
12,579
|
|
1973
|
13,754
|
-
|
12,162
|
|
1974
|
14,200
|
-
|
13,823
|
|
1975
|
15,500
|
-
|
14,225
|
|
1976
|
14,123
|
-
|
14,800
|
|
1977
|
13,860
|
-
|
15,920
|
|
1978
|
14,346
|
-
|
16,460
|
|
1979
|
14,977
|
-
|
18,000
|
|
1980
|
15,360
|
-
|
17,759
|
|
1981
|
16,606
|
-
|
19,349
|
|
1982
|
18,007
|
-
|
20,697
|
|
1983
|
18,860
|
-
|
23,082
|
|
1984
|
19,305
|
-
|
24,462
|
|
1985
|
20,469
|
-
|
25,838
|
|
1986
|
20,184
|
-
|
23,744
|
|
1987
|
18,731
|
-
|
22,640
|
|
1988
|
19,382
|
19,158
|
23,849
|
|
1989
|
20,675
|
20,383
|
24,719
|
|
1990
|
21,474
|
21,231
|
25,021
|
|
1991
|
21,434
|
20,783
|
24,995
|
|
1992
|
21,883
|
20,535
|
27,485
|
|
1993
|
21,529
|
21,328
|
25,561
|
|
1994
|
21,572
|
21,527
|
26,266
|
|
1995
|
21,422
|
21,483
|
24,919
|
|
1996
|
21,489
|
21,288
|
-
|
|
1997
|
21,225
|
21,025
|
25,244
|
|
1998
|
21,538
|
-
|
25,540
|
|
1999
|
21,766
|
-
|
-
|
|
2000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
2001
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Source: Alaska Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Commerce. | |||
Most of the growth in total government employment since 1990 has been at the local level.
|
Local Government Employment |
|||
|
Year
|
Alaska
Dept Labor
|
USDC/BEA |
USDC
Census
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
1965
|
5,240
|
-
|
5,824
|
|
1966
|
5,719
|
-
|
6,209
|
|
1967
|
6,282
|
-
|
6,731
|
|
1968
|
6,641
|
-
|
7,476
|
|
1969
|
7,548
|
-
|
7,809
|
|
1970
|
8,076
|
-
|
8,124
|
|
1971
|
8,953
|
-
|
9,000
|
|
1972
|
9,986
|
-
|
10,079
|
|
1973
|
10,575
|
-
|
13,390
|
|
1974
|
11,555
|
-
|
13,468
|
|
1975
|
13,337
|
-
|
14,247
|
|
1976
|
15,211
|
-
|
14,064
|
|
1977
|
17,501
|
-
|
14,256
|
|
1978
|
19,776
|
-
|
15,319
|
|
1979
|
21,640
|
-
|
17,000
|
|
1980
|
20,930
|
-
|
17,975
|
|
1981
|
21,962
|
-
|
17,432
|
|
1982
|
23,542
|
-
|
19,117
|
|
1983
|
25,240
|
-
|
20,822
|
|
1984
|
27,106
|
-
|
22,149
|
|
1985
|
28,730
|
-
|
23,476
|
|
1986
|
28,622
|
-
|
23,732
|
|
1987
|
27,788
|
-
|
24,544
|
|
1988
|
27,812
|
26,783
|
24,725
|
|
1989
|
28,167
|
27,349
|
24,502
|
|
1990
|
29,526
|
28,683
|
24,832
|
|
1991
|
30,048
|
29,086
|
25,850
|
|
1992
|
30,838
|
29,856
|
26,134
|
|
1993
|
31,331
|
30,344
|
27,530
|
|
1994
|
31,202
|
30,155
|
31,245
|
|
1995
|
32,062
|
31,017
|
32,008
|
|
1996
|
32,353
|
31,276
|
-
|
|
1997
|
32,382
|
31,293
|
28,081
|
|
1998
|
32,694
|
-
|
-
|
|
1999
|
32,684
|
-
|
-
|
|
2000
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
2001
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Source: Alaska Department of Labor and U.S. Department of Commerce. | |||
The ratio of public employment to population has been relatively constant since 1990.
|
Government Employment per 10,000 Population |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Year
|
State
and Local
|
State |
Local
|
|
1965
|
454
|
247
|
207
|
|
1966
|
452
|
241
|
211
|
|
1967
|
467
|
250
|
217
|
|
1968
|
516
|
280
|
237
|
|
1969
|
524
|
282
|
242
|
|
1970
|
515
|
280
|
234
|
|
1971
|
595
|
329
|
266
|
|
1972
|
637
|
360
|
278
|
|
1973
|
702
|
346
|
357
|
|
1974
|
730
|
388
|
342
|
|
1975
|
752
|
379
|
343
|
|
1976
|
685
|
367
|
318
|
|
1977
|
678
|
374
|
304
|
|
1978
|
724
|
389
|
335
|
|
1979
|
775
|
409
|
366
|
|
1980
|
803
|
416
|
387
|
|
1981
|
803
|
438
|
365
|
|
1982
|
820
|
442
|
379
|
|
1983
|
814
|
449
|
366
|
|
1984
|
793
|
417
|
376
|
|
1985
|
757
|
402
|
355
|
|
1986
|
770
|
393
|
377
|
|
1987
|
758
|
382
|
368
|
|
1988
|
789
|
388
|
402
|
|
1989
|
813
|
418
|
396
|
|
1990
|
786
|
401
|
385
|
|
1991
|
772
|
392
|
379
|
|
1992
|
784
|
406
|
371
|
|
1993
|
734
|
364
|
369
|
|
1994
|
792
|
381
|
410
|
|
1995
|
757
|
391
|
366
|
|
1996
|
-
|
379
|
373
|
|
1997
|
747
|
367
|
380
|
|
1998
|
720
|
361
|
359
|
|
1999
|
780
|
366
|
414
|
|
2000
|
770
|
365
|
404
|
|
2001
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
| Source: U.S. Department of Commerce. Government jobs are Full-time Equivalent. | |||
| Top
^ |
<
Back |
Next > |
|
Institute of Social and Economic
Research, University of Alaska Anchorage
Mailing Address: 3211 Providence Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
Physical Address: 4500 Diplomacy Drive, Suite 501, Anchorage, Alaska
(907)786-7710
Page Updated June 4, 2003