GAO staff fell 44% from 1979 to 2015

Source. Brookings, Vital Statistics on Congress, Tables 5-1 and 5-8 (1979 = 100)

Method and data

Method. Brookings’ tables end in 2015. The 2006 values come from Table 5-8, which prints 3,388 for GAO, in line with 2005 (3,215) and 2007 (3,172); Table 5-1 prints 2,388 for GAO in 2006 and a subtotal that adds with it, and the discrepancy is unexplained. OTA is omitted because it closed after FY1995. GAO’s own counts of 3,556 full-time equivalents in FY2025, 3,353 in FY2026 and 3,210 requested for FY2027 are a different measure from Brookings’ 2015 figure of 2,989 and are not joined to this series.

Year	GAO staff	CRS staff	CBO staff	GAO (1979 = 100)	CRS (1979 = 100)	CBO (1979 = 100)	Note
1979	5,303	847	204	100	100	100
1981	5,182	849	218	97.7	100.2	106.9
1983	4,960	853	211	93.5	100.7	103.4
1985	5,042	860	222	95.1	101.5	108.8
1987	5,016	860	226	94.6	101.5	110.8
1989	5,063	860	226	95.5	101.5	110.8
1991	5,054	831	226	95.3	98.1	110.8
1993	4,958	835	230	93.5	98.6	112.7
1995	4,342	746	214	81.9	88.1	104.9
1997	3,500	726	232	66	85.7	113.7
1999	3,275	703	232	61.8	83	113.7
2001	3,155	722	228	59.5	85.2	111.8
2002	3,275	681	232	61.8	80.4	113.7
2003	3,269	692	236	61.6	81.7	115.7
2004	3,252	729	236	61.3	86.1	115.7
2005	3,215	700	235	60.6	82.6	115.2
2006	3,388	669	235	63.9	79	115.2	GAO 2006: Table 5-8 prints 3,388; Table 5-1 prints 2,388
2007	3,172	658	232	59.8	77.7	113.7
2008	3,137	705	233	59.2	83.2	114.2
2009	3,191	675	238	60.2	79.7	116.7
2010	3,350	679	254	63.2	80.2	124.5
2011	3,134	658	248	59.1	77.7	121.6
2012	2,997	616	240	56.5	72.7	117.6
2013	2,849	593	225	53.7	70	110.3
2014	2,891	595	235	54.5	70.2	115.2
2015	2,989	609	235	56.4	71.9	115.2

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