Federal Workforce Briefing #2: 3.11.25

The Cooper Center released today its most recent policy briefing, highlighting the importance of federal jobs to the state's workforce and their impact on the state's economic health.

Key takeaways include:
•    There are 321,516 civilians who live in Virginia and work for the federal government - 10.2% of the entire full-time, year-round civilian employed (16+) population as of 2023.
•    77 of the state’s 133 counties and cities now report a higher share of federal workers than the national average, with NOVA and Hampton Roads having the highest concentration of federal workers in the state.
•    National security represents a particularly large and critical sector within Virginia’s federal workforce, with nearly 40% of federal civilian jobs in Virginia concentrated in industries related to national security.