NEWS for North Dakotans
Agriculture Communication, North Dakota State University
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo, ND 58105-5665

March 18, 1999

Report Highlights Changes in North Dakota's Government Employment

Government employment as a percentage of total employment in North Dakota has been declining throughout the decade, down from 19.3 percent in 1990 to 16.4 percent in 1997. But the number of full-time government employees at the state and local levels increased by 4.5 percent during the period. And total government employment showed a 4.4-percent increase from 1990 through 1997, according to the latest Economic Brief from the North Dakota State Data Center at North Dakota State University.

"Contributing to the rise in total government employment between 1990 and 1997 was a 4.7-percent increase in state employment and a 5.8-percent increase in local employment," says Richard Rathge, data center director.

During 1993 and 1994, local government employment rose by 33.6 percent, from 32,302 to 43,157. This considerable increase was due to a 77-percent increase in part-time local employment. Rathge says full-time local employment saw little change during this period.

"The rise in part-time government employment was a temporary situation," Rathge says. "By 1997, the number of part-time government employees was near the 1990 level."

The functions of North Dakota's state and local government with the largest percentage increases in full-time equivalent employment from 1990 through 1997 were health, which saw a 121.6-percent jump, and corrections with 22.8 percent. Areas having the largest percentage declines were electric power (70.4 percent) and hospitals (33.8 percent).

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Source: Richard Rathge (701) 231-8621

Editor: Dean Hulse (701) 231-6136

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