The U.S. Census Bureau released new summary data and tables for the 2025 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (ASPEP) on April 16. The information offers a detailed overview of employment in state and local governments across the country.
These statistics are important because they provide insight into how many people work in government roles, both full- and part-time, as well as gross monthly payroll figures for March 2025. The survey breaks down employment by governmental function, including areas such as financial administration, other government administration, highways, and air transportation.
According to the Census Bureau, federal, state and local governments—as well as education and research organizations—use this public employment data to conduct comparative studies on government activities. The information also supports the development of the government component within the gross domestic product.
Along with the summary report for 2025, an individual unit file has been released that contains all data items by code within ASPEP. This file includes responses at the individual governmental unit level along with descriptive details.
The release also features revised tables for both 2023 and 2024. Additional resources are available at www.census.gov/programs-surveys/apes/data.html. A new graphic titled ‘Public Sector Employment per 10,000 People in Selected States: 2025’ was also published to highlight top functions in state and local government employment for that year.
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