Downsizing Ahead of Schedule
The 1994 Federal Workforce Restructuring Act required the executive branch to cap employment at 1,922,300 for 1998. According to budget projections, the Clinton Administration will have eliminated 70,000 more positions than were required by the act. Nearly two-thirds of the cuts will have been borne by the Department of Defense.
(Civilian employment as measured by Full-Time Equivalents, in thousands)
| AGENCY |
1993 Base |
1996 |
1998 (est.) |
Change: 1993 base to 1998 FTE's |
Change: 1993 base to 1998 Percent |
| Agriculture* | 115.6 | 100.7 | 99.9 | -15.8 | -13.6% |
| Commerce | 36.7 | 33.8 | 38.3 | +1.6 | +4.3% |
| Defense-military functions | 931.3 | 778.9 | 733.2 | -198.1 | -21.3% |
| Education | 5.0 | 4.7 | 4.6 | -0.5 | -9.3% |
| Energy | 20.6 | 19.1 | 17.2 | -3.4 | -16.5% |
| Health and Human Services* | 65.0 | 57.2 | 57.6 | -7.3 | -11.3% |
| Social Security Administration | 65.4 | 64.0 | 65.4 | --- | --- |
| Housing and Urban Development | 13.6 | 11.4 | 11.0 | -2.7 | -19.6% |
| Interior | 79.3 | 66.7 | 71.4 | -7.9 | -10.0% |
| Justice | 99.4 | 103.8 | 121.8 | +22.4 | +22.5% |
| Labor | 18.3 | 16.0 | 17.1 | -1.2 | -6.5% |
| State | 26.0 | 22.9 | 23.2 | -2.8 | -10.8% |
| Transportation | 70.3 | 62.4 | 64.8 | -5.5 | -7.8% |
| Treasury | 166.1 | 151.1 | 148.1 | -18.0 | -10.8% |
| Veterans Affairs* | 232.4 | 221.9 | 210.6 | -21.8 | -9.4% |
| Environmental Protection Agency | 18.6 | 17.2 | 18.3 | -0.3 | -1.6% |
| General Services Administration | 20.6 | 15.7 | 14.4 | -6.2 | -30.2% |
| NASA | 25.7 | 21.1 | 19.8 | -6.0 | -23.3% |
| Office of Personnel Management | 6.2 | 3.4 | 3.3 | -3.0 | -47.6% |
| Total, Executive Branch civilian employment. | 2,155.2 | 1,891.7 | 1,855.6 | -299.6 | -13.9% |
* The Departments of Agriculture, Health and Human Services, and Veterans Affairs have components that are exempt from FTE controls. In 1998, Agriculture has 2098, HHS has 268 exemptions and Veterans Affairs has 3,200 exemptions.
Source: The Budget For Fiscal Year 1998, Office of Management and Budget
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