During the recent times, different government agencies have started to make public their strategies to streamline their staffing structures. In the process, a substantial number of federal employees have concluded their tenure with various government departments either through voluntary retirements or terminations. This allows us access to the unprecedented statistics related to the multi-million federal civilian workforce that had been serving at various locations across the country until March 2024.
Arguably one of the most massive organizations outside the Department of Defense is the Department of Veterans Affairs, which bolstered a workforce of over 480,000 personnel in the previous year. The department comprises expert medical professionals attending to veterans in medical centers, as well as administrative personnel handling various veterans’ benefits.
Reporting from major locations such as Memphis, Austin, and Ogden is an army of tax examiners and customer service representatives belonging to the Internal Revenue Service. Their presence across the country ensures the effective functioning of regional offices.
The Smithsonian Institution ensures the preservation and exhibition of our rich history and culture through its trusty group of dedicated staff. These include museum curators, archivists, security staff, and animal keepers who tirelessly work in museums and research centers managed by the institution.
As they handle health-related issues, the Department of Health and Human Services takes pride in their workforce of more than 90,000 with a varied roster of professionals – scientists, public health officers, researchers as well as food and drug inspectors.
In service to the country’s agriculture, the Natural Resources Conservation Service employs a cadre of soil conservation experts strategically placed around the country. Running in parallel, the Forest Service oversees roughly 193 million acres of public lands and employs an assortment of workforce including wildland firefighters, archaeologists, and wildlife biologists mainly stationed in the heartland of the country.
Playing a pivotal role in the nation’s demographics and economic planning, the U.S. Census Bureau – part of the Commerce Department, works tirelessly with its chief processing center for mail and surveys established in Jeffersonville, Ind., and its headquarters operating out of Suitland, Md.
Specifying standards and conducting pivotal research are the primary functions of the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Its squad of engineers, physicists, and chemists operates chiefly from polished laboratories set up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, and Boulder, Colorado.
Managing over 400 million acres of federal lands, the Interior Department’s extensive workforce is responsible for national parks, conservation tasks, tribal affairs, and research. Spread across a broad geographical expanse, the members of their team include scientists, park rangers, technicians, and multiple researchers.
Driving the country’s journey into outer space, NASA maintains an elite workforce of engineers, astrophysicists, and planetary scientists located across America. With centers of significance such as the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, and the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, NASA’s influence can be seen and felt far and wide.
One of the largest departments in terms of total employment, the Department of Homeland Security stood at more than 222,000 employees in the previous year. Ensuring domestic safety and defense coordination, its workers are stationed all over the country.
Distributed over a collection of field offices and laboratories countrywide, for instance, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, etc., the Department of Energy’s workforce carries out indispensable tasks. With a team of specialized chemical engineers, nuclear experts, and computer scientists, it extensively contributes to the country’s energy matrix.
Various agencies under the Department of Transportation work harmoniously to safeguard regulations for the aviation industry, railroads, highways, and public transit. Hosting more than 45,000 employees, the Federal Aviation Administration, the biggest agency within Transportation, provides services at nearly every airport within the United States.
Placed mainly in bustling urban locations where the heart of financial services beats like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago, the Securities and Exchange Commission predominantly carries a workforce of lawyers, accountants, and compliance professionals. Their task is essentially to monitor and regulate the securities industry, hence maintaining a fair trading environment.
Boiling down, the state of the country’s federal workforce is an interplay of a multitude of agencies handling a variety of duties. With various specialized professionals employed in locations from big urban cities to quiet small towns, they undoubtedly play an irreplaceable role in the functioning and growth of the nation.