The U.S. Census Bureau released new summary statistics and data tables for the 2025 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll (ASPEP) on April 16. The data offers a detailed overview of employment in state and local governments across the country.
The release is significant because it provides policymakers, researchers, and government agencies with updated information on workforce levels and payroll costs at the state and local level. These figures are used for comparative studies as well as to help develop the government component of the gross domestic product.
According to the Census Bureau, this year’s survey includes information on full- and part-time employees, full-time equivalent employment, and gross monthly payroll statistics for March 2025 by various governmental functions such as financial administration, other government administration, highways, and air transportation. An individual unit file has also been made available containing all relevant data items by code within ASPEP; this file presents governmental unit-level responses along with descriptive details.
In addition to publishing new figures for 2025, revised tables from both 2023 and 2024 have been released. The Census Bureau also published a graphic titled “Public Sector Employment per 10,000 People in Selected States: 2025,” which highlights top state and local government functions based on current year data.
Further details about these releases can be found at www.census.gov/programs-surveys/apes/data.html.
