On March 27, the U.S. Census Bureau will release the latest summary report and data tables from the 2024 Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll—a vital dataset for understanding employment trends across state and local governments, including the gross monthly payroll for March 2024.

This annual survey offers a comprehensive snapshot of the nation's public-sector workforce, including full- and part-time employment figures, full-time equivalent counts, and payroll data across a wide range of governmental functions—from police and fire protection to public education, corrections, and public health.

Why It Matters for TEXPERS Members

For trustees and administrators of public employee pension systems, this data offers a look at the size, structure, and payroll of the public workforce—the very population their retirement plans are designed to serve. Understanding employment trends can inform actuarial assumptions, funding strategies, and policy decisions.

Highlights of the survey's impact and relevance include:

• Benchmarking Employment: The data enables comparative studies of Texas' public employment landscape versus other states and national trends.

• Economic Indicators: Survey results contribute to the development of the government component of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and personal income estimates at the state and county level.

• Workforce Trends: Changes in headcounts or payrolls across functions—such as public safety, education, or infrastructure—may signal shifts in local priorities or financial pressures.

• Policy & Funding: Legislators and federal agencies use this data to guide federal grant allocations and legislative research that may impact pension funding.

What to Expect in This Release

The 2024 release will include:

• New data for March 2024

• Revised data tables for 2022 and 2023

• Breakdown of employment and payroll by function

• Viewable and downloadable files for each state and level of government

The data reflects only civilian government employees and is collected annually, with a full census conducted every five years. The survey omits part-time hours (as of 2019), but still captures headcounts and payroll totals by job function.

Key Functions Covered

Public employment data is categorized by functions, including:

• Police and Fire Protection

• Education (K-12 and Higher Ed)

• Public Health and Hospitals

• Corrections

• Financial and General Administration

• Public Works (highways, sewerage, solid waste)

• Transit, Utilities, Parks, Libraries, and More

TEXPERS members may find the breakdowns by government function especially useful when analyzing workforce trends tied to pension liabilities.

Accessing the Data

The Census Bureau will publish the summary report and downloadable files on its website on March 27. 

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