• About
    • About EPI
    • Events
      • Creating justice in a multiracial democracy
    • Careers → We’re hiring!
    • Newsletter
    • Newsroom
    • Support our work
      • EPI40 – Celebrating 40 years as the working peoples’ think tank
      • Ways to give
      • Impact report
      • Donate
  • Areas of Research
    • Unions and Labor Standards
    • Jobs and Unemployment
    • Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy
      • State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity
      • Advancing anti-racist research & policy
    • Immigration
    • Minimum Wage
    • Education
    • Federal Policy Watch
    • Child Labor
    • Inequality and Poverty
    • Retirement
    • Trade and Globalization
    • Budget, Taxes, and Public Investment
    • Economic Growth
    • Health
    • Regulation
    • Wages, Incomes, and Wealth
  • Data Library
  • Publications
  • Resources
    • Family Budget Calculator
    • Wage Calculator
    • Child care costs in the United States
    • CEO pay
    • Productivity–Pay Gap
    • Minimum Wage Tracker
    • U.S. workers’ rights preemption map
    • Economic Indicators →
      • Jobs and Unemployment
      • State Unemployment by Race and Ethnicity
      • Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claims
      • JOLTS analysis
      • Data accountability dashboard
      • Low Wage Workforce Tracker
      • Company Wage Tracker
    • EARN →
      • Holding the line: State solutions to the U.S. worker rights crisis
      • Rooted in Racism
      • Immigrant workers in your state
      • Federal workers in your state
      • Workers’ rights preemption in the U.S.: A map of the campaign to suppress workers’ rights in the states
      • State unemployment by race and ethnicity
    • Anti-racist Policy Research
    • Federal Policy Watch →
      • How many federal workers live in your state?
      • 47 ways Trump has made life less affordable in his first year back in office
      • 100 days, 100 ways Trump hurt workers
    • Tax & Spending Explorer
    • Projects →
      • Unequal Power
      • Building Worker Power
      • State of Working America
    • Social Media Toolkit
    • View all
  • Blog
  • Donate

How many federal employees live in your state?

The federal workforce consists of roughly 3 million employees distributed throughout the United States. Individuals holding these jobs are hired and discharged based on their merit and are protected from undue political influence or reprisal. President Trump has taken drastic steps to reduce the size of the federal workforce.

The impact of these attacks will be felt throughout the country, in every state, every county, every congressional district.

Featured work

  • A snapshot of the federal workforce that is now under attack from the Trump administration

    February 21, 2025 By Celine McNicholas and Patrick Oakford Blog
  • The era of cheap cynicism about government is over

    February 27, 2025 By Josh Bivens Blog
  • EO on Implementing the DOGE Workforce Optimization Initiative

    July 8, 2025 By Margaret Poydock
  • President Trump issues memo limiting collective bargaining agreements reached with federal workers

    February 3, 2025 By Celine McNicholas
  • Offering deferred resignation to federal employees

    January 29, 2025 By Samantha Sanders

EPI is an independent, nonprofit think tank that researches the impact of economic trends and policies on working people in the United States. EPI’s research helps policymakers, opinion leaders, advocates, journalists, and the public understand the bread-and-butter issues affecting ordinary Americans.

Follow EPI

1225 Eye St. NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20005
Phone: 202-775-8810 • epi@epi.org
© 2026 Economic Policy Institute
Privacy Policy • Contact Us

Projects
State of Working America Data Library

Authoritative, up-to-date data on the living standards of American workers.

Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy • PREE

Exploring how race, ethnicity, and class intersect to affect economic outcomes in the United States.

Unequal Power

There’s an inherent imbalance of bargaining power between employers and employees. Here's how it impacts your workplace—and our democracy.

Policy Agenda

Policy choices have tilted the playing field toward the rich and corporations. Here's how to tilt it back.

Tax & Spending Explorer

How do taxes and spending work, and where do you fit in?

Inequality.is

Interactive tools and videos bringing clarity to the national dialogue on economic inequality.


Affiliated programs
Economic Analysis and Research Network • EARN

A network of state and local organizations improving workers' lives through research and advocacy.

About EPI

Staff
Board of Directors
Jobs at EPI
Contact us
Why give to EPI
Newsroom
Newsletter
Events
Donate


The Economic Policy Institute staff is unionized with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union.