State Government Employment Trends
One topic that comes up frequently when we sit down with taxpayers across Iowa is the number of people our state government employs. Iowans intuitively understand that there are very real and significant costs shouldered by the state for each member of its workforce. For instance, the Legislative Services Agency reports in their most recent Factbook that Iowa spent over $1.5 billion in total compensation just three years ago, accounting for roughly 20% of that year’s state budget. And that doesn’t even count employees at the three regents universities*!