John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

Good enough for government work?

It's no secret that government, whether federal, state or local, is a major employer and a big-time economic driver.

But just how big is it?

According to the folks at 24/7 Wall St, three of every 20 American jobs in 2016 involved working for the government - regardless of the level.

And "while federal workers tend to gain the most national attention, they are a minority among government employees. The vast majority of government employees – 64.5 percent – actually work at the local level," the online news site concludes in a new report out today.

That tally "includes employees that comprise the administrative organization and management of cities, counties, and districts, as well as workers who help maintain public services such as education and waste management. Not all states, however, have the same concentration of government jobs. In fact, the percentages vary greatly across the country," the report concluded.

The Methodology: "To determine government employment at the state, local, or federal level as a share of all jobs in each state, 24/7 Wall St. used employment data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) for 2016. The percentage of the population working in a particular industry is relative to the state's total nonfarm payrolls. State employment-to-population ratios are also from the BLS. Population density is from the U.S. Census Bureau's 2015 American Community Survey."

In the following slides, we'll run down the states with the highest - and lowest - percentage of government workers. The results may surprise you.

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

The Top 5

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

1. Wyoming

So here's something we didn't expect - the states with the lowest levels of population density tended to have the highest levels of government employment, the analysis found.

Here's the rundown for Wyoming:

Gov't jobs, 2016: 25.4 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 71,000 (4th lowest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 23.6 percent (3rd highest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): 9.2 percent (5th highest)

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ChrisBeverly2070

2. Alaska

The state that gave the nation the Palin Clan finished second in the 24/7 Wall Street analysis:

Gov't jobs, 2016: 24.4 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 81,000 (6th lowest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 25.7 percent (the highest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): 0.2 percent (16th lowest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

3. New Mexico

Plenty of wide open spaces - plenty of government workers to fill them up.

Gov't jobs, 2016: 23 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 191,000 (16th lowest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 23.8 percent (2nd highest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): -3.2 percent (8th lowest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

4. Oklahoma

Live in the Dust Bowl? You might have a government gig.

Gov't jobs, 2016: 21.4 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 354,000 (25th highest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 21.1 percent (5th highest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): 7.3 percent (9th highest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

5. Mississippi

Mississippi is among the nation's poorest states, thus it consumes among the highest percentages of government services. Thus, it ranks high for the percentage of its population working in government.

Classic cause and effect.

Gov't jobs, 2016: 21.4 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 244,000 (20th lowest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 21 percent (6th highest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): 2.1 percent (22nd lowest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

The Bottom Five

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

1. Pennsylvania

Don't let Harrisburg fool you. Pennsylvania has the lowest percentage of its population engaged in government work, according to the 24/7 Wall St. analysis.

That's because states with high population density tend to have fewer government workers as a percentage of their overall population. And the Keystone State certainly fits the bill.

Here's the breakdown, by the numbers:

Gov't jobs, 2016: 12 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 704,000 (9th highest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 13.1 percent (2nd lowest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): -6.8 percent (3rd lowest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

2. Nevada

The Silver State finishes second from bottom (or 49th nationwide). Maybe not surprising, given the many more .... ahhhh ... colorful ways to make a living.

Gov't jobs, 2016: 12.1 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 158,000 (14th lowest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 11.7 percent (the lowest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): 5.6 percent (17th highest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

3. Rhode Island

The Ocean State is one of the nation's smallest states, thus it has few government workers.

Gov't jobs, 2016: 12.3 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 61,000 (2nd lowest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 13.2 percent (4th lowest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): -6.8 percent (2nd lowest)

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John L. Micek | jmicek@pennlive.com

4. Massachusetts

Shockah! Taxachusetts may be a liberal's playground, but it has relatively few people working in government as a percentage of its total population, the analysis found.

Gov't jobs, 2016: 12.8 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 456,000 (15th highest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 13.1 percent (3rd lowest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): 6.2 percent (13th highest)

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5. Florida

The Sunshine State finishes with the fifth-lowest tally of government workers. Makes sense. Who'd want to be indoors doing government work when you could be on the beach ...

Gov't jobs, 2016: 13.1 percent

Gov't employment, 2016: 1,095,000 (4th highest)

Gov't jobs, 2006: 13.8 percent (5th lowest)

Gov't employment chg. (2006-2016): -0.4 percent (14th lowest)