06 Oct 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotWyoming and Alaska are two of the least populated states in the union.
and the winner is: Wyoming, at 22 pct!
don't worry sh76 no1m et al, NY is in there at 16.3 pct or so, ranked #9.
Last time I checked Wyoming has about half a million people for their total population, so I wouldn't get too excited about those numbers.
06 Oct 10
1 edit
Originally posted by zeeblebotFederal workers make up a small portion of all government workers (except maybe in DC) so it probably wouldn't bring the percentage up much. The big one is local government. That's teachers and public service (e.g., firefighters, police officers).
scratch that, it says the 22 pct is a percentage of total workers, not total population. but it's state and local employees so the federal component is still missing in the 22 pct.
06 Oct 10
1 edit
Originally posted by mwmillerWell, the counterargument to that would be that those states still have a disproportionate amount of government workers relative to other states.
Wyoming and Alaska are two of the least populated states in the union.
Last time I checked Wyoming has about half a million people for their total population, so I wouldn't get too excited about those numbers.
Personally, I don't think it matters much. Both of those states have a lot of public lands. I would expect a lot of state and federal government employees just from that alone.
Also that article is silly to compare state and local government to Greece. It's not the number of people working for the government that's the problem in Greece. It's the exorbitant compensation relative to tax revenues that's the problem.
06 Oct 10
Originally posted by telerionDC only has 50K. Virginia and Maryland each have more than Texas (300K, 280K, and 250K). California has most at 344K. NY has 160K. you guys are getting cheated!
Federal workers make up a small portion of all government workers (except maybe in DC) so it probably wouldn't bring the percentage up much. The big one is local government. That's teachers and public service (e.g., firefighters, police officers).
2006 Federal Employees by State
http://www.theyworkforus.org/documents/FedEmployeesStats.pdf
06 Oct 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotscratch that, that's the entire population.
Wyoming has 7468 federal workers (2006). population for 2006 was 514000. that's 1.5 pct.
working population in WY for 2006 was 284,987 (avg).
so feds were 2.6 pct of the working population.
that accounts for the round up to 25 pct that our Doubting Thomas (whoever it was) was questioning, back up the thread.
http://doe.state.wy.us/lmi/LAUS/06bmk.htm
06 Oct 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotSo in the leading, it includes those 2,6%, but in the article itself it doesn't?
scratch that, that's the entire population.
working population in WY for 2006 was 284,987 (avg).
so feds were 2.6 pct of the working population.
that accounts for the round up to 25 pct that our Doubting Thomas (whoever it was) was questioning, back up the thread.
http://doe.state.wy.us/lmi/LAUS/06bmk.htm
06 Oct 10
Originally posted by Thomasterthese are an independent set of stats. the article in the original post is for state and local public employees only, so we had to find the federal employment of Wyoming elsewhere on the web, and add it in, to get the figure for total public employment in Wyoming.
So in the leading, it includes those 2,6%, but in the article itself it doesn't?
06 Oct 10
Originally posted by zeeblebotI was talking about your first link.
these are an independent set of stats. the article in the original post is for state and local public employees only, so we had to find the federal employment of Wyoming elsewhere on the web, and add it in, to get the figure for total public employment in Wyoming.
http://www.businessinsider.com/10-states-where-an-insane-percentage-of-people-work-for-uncle-sam-2010-6
It says some states have almost 25%, even though the winner has 22%.