Jobs Would Rise in Some Agencies, Some Would Fall

In terms of full-time equivalent employment, the budget projects a count of 2,140,300 in the executive branch in fiscal 2016, which would be a 34,500 increase from the estimated 2015 count; the 2013 and 2014 actual numbers were 2,058,000 and 2,033,400. Notable gainers would include VA, up 11,600 to improve quality and timeliness of services to veterans and to comply with a law enacted last year boosting medical staffing; and the IRS, up 9,400 to restore some positions cut in recent years, focusing on customer service, program integrity and tax enforcement. Other gainers would include DHS, HHS, Commerce and SSA, up 3,800, 2,600, 1,500 and 1,200, respectively. The growth at Commerce would reflect a proposal to take over functions now performed by the SBA and several small agencies and entities dealing with trade and development. Similarly, food safety inspection functions of Agriculture would be brought into HHS and combined with similar functions of the FDA into a new HHS sub-agency. DoD would stand to lose 2,900, while no other agency would lose more than several hundred and most would be essentially flat.