What is United States's government payrolls right now?

Government Payrolls in United States is 23,323 as of Aug 2026.

What are the historical extremes for United States's government payrolls?

The all-time high is 23,586 (Jun 2025); the record low is 3,988 (Jan 1939), over a series starting in 1939.

How often is this series updated?

Government Payrolls for United States is a monthly series; values refresh when new data is published or revised.

Where does this data come from?

See our methodology page for how we source and verify every series.

United States Government Payrolls

23,323▲ +35.00

Aug 2026 · Monthly

Government payrolls in the United States rose to 23,323 thousand in August 2026 from 23,288 thousand in July. The figure remains below the all-time high of 23,586 thousand recorded in June 2025. Data are available from January 1939.

United States Government Payrolls, 1990–2026

Actual	Previous	Highest	Lowest	Dates	Frequency
23,323	23,288	23,586Jun 2025	3,988Jan 1939	1939 – 2026	Monthly

About this series

Government Payrolls in United States averaged 21,376 from 1939 until 2026, reaching an all-time high of 23,586 in Jun 2025 and a record low of 3,988 in Jan 1939. The series is reported monthly with history from 1939.

Government Payrolls measures the number of employees on the payrolls of government entities in the United States. The data are reported in thousands of persons on a monthly frequency. The series spans from January 1939 to the present.

Source & methodology

We use primary economic sources for every country. See our methodology page for how we source and verify this data.

FAQ

United States Government Payrolls

Government payrolls in the United States rose to 23,323 thousand in August 2026 from 23,288 thousand in July. The figure remains below the all-time high of 23,586 thousand recorded in June 2025. Data are available from January 1939.

About this series