The Rockefeller Institute in New York is reporting that overall state government employment is 2 percent below its level at the start of the recession, while private employment is down 5.8 percent over the same time period.
Interesting. We’ve heard repeated calls from government leaders to share the pain. The pleas have been mostly in reference to public and private sector job reductions. Last week U.S. News & World Report ran the graph listed below. While the graph technically measures job growth, it’s another perspective that shows the distribution of pain has been far from equitable.
In the meantime Congressional leaders entertain proposals for more financial assistance for state and local governments….Isn’t it time for the public sector to downsize and be more effective?
Great chart. I would be interested in seeing this chart extended into the future–many states have cut quite a few jobs as of July and August of this year due to big budget cuts (and no stimulus funds).