Image: Vlad G/Shutterstock.com
Federal employment totals changed little in calendar year 2021, the first 12 months of the Biden administration, down by 1,356 positions in that time to 2,170,157, according to data newly posted by OPM.
The OPM count is a “head count” which includes part-time, seasonal and time-limited employees, and differs from other types of counts, which may exclude some of those categories or which may account for the workforce as “full-time equivalent” positions.
The Cabinet departments accounted for nearly exactly 2 million of those—2,000,003 to be precise—up by fewer than 100, while large independent agencies collectively lost about 1,500 positions, medium-sized ones gained about 160 and small ones were virtually unchanged.
Within those numbers, there was some variation, however. Civilian employment in the Army fell by about 7,600, in the Navy by about 3,300, and in the Air Force by about 3,000, while the HHS gained nearly 11,300 and VA and DHS about 2,000 each.
The figures also show that just over 1 million of the total are considered eligible to telework, up by more than 42,000 from year-end 2020.
See You in September, Court in Vaccine Mandate Suit Says
MSBP Clarifies What Constitutes Retaliation against Whistleblower
Outside Employment / Activities Lead Topics for Federal Employees Seeking Ethics Guidance
Mutual Fund Window Open, but Not Much Going Through
G Fund Now TSP Program’s Largest
Court Action Likely Means Continued Suspension of Vaccine Mandate for Months
Who Gets the FERS Special Retirement Supplement
Nine Hours on Hold: Pressure Builds on TSP to Improve Customer Service