The U.S. Census Bureau released new summary statistics and data tables for the 2025 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (ASPEP) on April 16. The latest figures provide a detailed overview of employment in state and local governments across the United States.
The release is significant because it gives policymakers, researchers, and government officials access to up-to-date information about public sector employment levels, payroll expenses, and how these resources are distributed among different governmental functions. This information supports comparative studies of government operations and helps inform the development of economic indicators such as the government component of gross domestic product.
According to the Census Bureau, the survey includes data on full- and part-time employees, full-time equivalent positions, and gross monthly payrolls for March 2025. These figures are broken down by specific functions such as financial administration, highways, air transportation, and other administrative categories.
Alongside the new data for 2025, revised tables for both 2023 and 2024 have also been published. An individual unit file is available with all collected items organized by code at the governmental unit level—including descriptive details about each respondent.
Additionally, a graphic titled “Public Sector Employment per 10,000 People in Selected States: 2025” has been released to highlight leading state and local government roles during that year. Further details can be found at www.census.gov/programs-surveys/apes/data.html.
The newly released statistics are expected to support ongoing research into trends in public sector employment nationwide.
