WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in May, half a million government jobs in the United States were lost.
In May, employment continued to decline in government (-585,000), the bureau reports. This massive loss follows a drop of 963,000 in April. Employment in local government was down by 487,000 in May. Local government education accounted for almost two-thirds of the decrease (-310,000), reflecting school closures. Employment also continued to decline in state government (-84,000), particularly in state education (-63,000).
Government employment including civilian employees (military personnel, CIA, NSA, etc excluded) and the postal service was in excess of 21 million persons in April.
A rebound could be expected if schools re-open in the coming months.
