New York’s state and local governments pay public employees 21 percent more than the national average, and the number of government workers compared to population is among the highest in the country, according to a Public Policy Institute analysis of new U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

The analysis found that the average annual salary of New York government workers was $54,503 in 2006, the fourth highest in the nation and 21 percent above the national average of $45,173.

New York had 62 full-time equivalent state and local government workers for every 1,000 residents in 2006, 14 percent above the national average and the eleventh highest ratio in the nation.

Public-employment levels in New York are significantly higher than those in states such as Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

In 2006, New York had 941,079 local government workers, or 49 per 1,000 residents. That number was 23 percent above the national average of 40. Local government employees include those who work for school districts, as well as municipalities and other local government entities.

A 2004 Institute report, How High is the Upstate Tax Burden and Why?, showed that Upstate New York taxpayers paid as much as $6 billion more in state and local taxes than they would in an average state, partly because of the state's far-above-average local government payrolls.

The Census Bureau data are available at www.census.gov/govs/www/apesloc06dl.html.

State and Local Government Employment, 2006