Several state agencies — most notably the departments of Human Services and Corrections — were already understaffed or have trouble retaining employees — or both — headed into the current downturn. The number of full-time corrections employees fell 40 percent from 1995 to 2014 and 16 percent from 2005 to 2014.

Higher education, which can raise tuition and fees and tap private donors, saw full-time employment grow 31 percent during the 20 years examined, and 13 percent from 2005 to 2014, despite declining appropriations in recent years.

Those increases were in line or just behind the national rate of growth for higher education.

Public schools are the largest government employers in the state, but teachers, administrators and other K-12 common education workers are not considered state employees for statistical purposes. Instead, they are tracked as local government employees, even though some or all of their compensation comes from state funds.

Those statistics show the number of K-12 “instructional employees” — teachers, in other words — has increased 21 percent in the past 20 years. Non-instructional employees, which can be anything from superintendents to janitors, have slightly decreased.