Labor & Employment Law Daily Wrap Up, INDUSTRY NEWS, TRENDS—EPI tool highlights regional impact of Trump administration reductions in force, (Mar 26, 2025)

By Patricia K. Ruiz, J.D.

The Economic Policy Institute reports that Washington, D.C., and Maryland house the largest proportion of federal workers.

A new tool from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) calculates the number of federal workers and their share of total employment in every state, country, congressional district, and metro area. The tool illuminates the impact of the Trump administration’s efforts to scale down the federal workforce.

Impact on federal workforce. According to EPI, the federal workforce consists of approximately three million employees. A Schedule F executive order by the Trump administration made it easier to fire federal workers in typically apolitical jobs. Additionally, the administration told federal agencies to prepare for large-scale layoffs. Given that federal workers are distributed throughout the country, every region in the country will feel the impact of the administration’s attacks on the federal workforce.

EPI reported the states and regions with the highest proportion of the federal workforce. Washington, D.C., is home to 13.2 percent of the federal workforce, or 48,859 workers. Maryland houses 7.3 percent (224,229 workers), and Virginia houses 5.6 percent (234,242 workers). New Mexico has 4.6 percent (29,217 workers), Hawaii has 4.6 percent (29,217 workers), and Alaska has 4.6 percent (14,947 workers).

Tool data. The EPI’s tool draws from analysis of the 2023 American Community Survey and estimates previously published in a 2024 Congressional Research Service report. Congressional district data represent the 118th U.S. Congress.

Companies: Economic Policy Institute

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