USA Today (06/01/12) Dennis Cauchon

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports seven consecutive months of declines in federal employment, with the number of federal workers falling by 11,600 in April 2012 from the same month last year. From the start of the recession in December 2007 through September 2011, private and state and local government employment slipped 5% and 2%, respectively, while federal employment rose 13%. John Palguta, vice president of the Partnership for Public Service, attributes the decline in federal employment to political and financial pressures, noting, “Budget challenges are becoming real.” The U.S. Internal Revenue Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have reduced their staffs. President Obama’s budget would increase the federal work force slightly, but Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney says he would slash federal employment by 10%.