Today we celebrated HFC's 36th birthday with cake and coffee in the lobby. There were 6 or 8 people there who started working for the Center even before the building was finished. After we applauded for them, one quipped, "You know, I never got compensation for painting the walls!"
Few people I talk with in the NPS are new employees. Most whom I've asked say they've been in the Park Service for more than 10 years; many for more than 20. ('Course, I'm dealing with people who've got some decision-making role in their parks--department heads, managers, supervisors.) After the "lifers" were introduced today, one of my co-workers asked another,
....."How long have you been here?"
....."Well, I've been with the federal government for 22 years, but I've only worked here for 6."
I've heard that before, too--if you can't claim a long term with the NPS, at least assert your tenure as a federal employee. There's definitely a way that people identify with their civil service.
The conversation got me wondering again about something I've meant to find out: just how many people does the U.S. government employ?
Well, as of September 2005:
Few people I talk with in the NPS are new employees. Most whom I've asked say they've been in the Park Service for more than 10 years; many for more than 20. ('Course, I'm dealing with people who've got some decision-making role in their parks--department heads, managers, supervisors.) After the "lifers" were introduced today, one of my co-workers asked another,
....."How long have you been here?"
....."Well, I've been with the federal government for 22 years, but I've only worked here for 6."
I've heard that before, too--if you can't claim a long term with the NPS, at least assert your tenure as a federal employee. There's definitely a way that people identify with their civil service.
The conversation got me wondering again about something I've meant to find out: just how many people does the U.S. government employ?
Well, as of September 2005:
Total civilian employees...........2,700,965That's 1.4% of the U.S. population, 2.7% of all Americans employed.
Total military employees..........1,389,394
Total federal employees...........4,090,359
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