How many federal workers your state has
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Federal workers are largely concentrated in and around our nation's capital — no surprise! — but also have strong showings in some Mountain West states, plus Alaska and Hawai'i.
Why it matters: Some states may be more vulnerable than others as the second Trump administration works to significantly trim the federal workforce.
By the numbers: Washington, D.C., has the most federal civilian workers per 100,000 residents as of September 2024, per the latest available U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) data, at nearly 24,000.
- Maryland (about 2,300), Hawai'i (1,700) and Virginia (1,700) follow.
- Connecticut (about 200), New Jersey (240) and New York (280) have the fewest per 100,000 residents.
Caveat: OPM's location data is based on where people work, not where they live — so Marylanders or Virginians who work in D.C. are included in D.C.'s count.
- Furthermore, workers at some sensitive agencies, including the FBI, ATF and U.S. Mint, are counted as working in D.C. if they work anywhere in the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes parts of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia.
- OPM thus warns its data overcounts actual D.C. employment.
Reality check: OPM's latest numbers predate Trump's federal job cuts, so today's actual numbers are likely lower than what's shown here.
What's next: At least some fired federal workers have been reinstated amid legal battles, but their future remains uncertain at best.
- Meanwhile, states like New York and Virginia are stepping up efforts to hire federal workers who have lost their jobs.
