From March to April, the number of workers employed by government in the United States climbed from 21,543,000 to 21,591,000. Local government employment increased by 32,000, rising from 13,685,000 to 13,717,000. But there was a precipitous drop in government employment in the United States in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. During that period, however, federal government employment actually increased while state and local employment declined. From February to May of last year, federal employment climbed by 14,000, rising from 2,863,000 to 2,877,000.
