FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYMENT

It is true that Bush-41 and Clinton cut the Federal work force by around 1,160,000 (me amongst them) without disrupting the economy, but those were good times and jobs were relatively easy to get. That is not so true now, I believe.

The peak post WW-II year for Federal employees was 1968 6,639,000 (the Vietnam peak) after which Federal employment gradually fell. Since 1968 the peak was 1987 5,301,000 under Reagan. Bush-41 started his term in 1989 at 5,292,000 and finished in 1992 at 4,931,000. Clinton finished at 4,129,000 in 2002. (http://www.opm.gov/feddata/historicaltables/TotalGovernmentSince1962.asp)

The peak Federal government civilian work force  (including those in the DoD) peaked at 3,067,000 in 1990 (beating the previous peak at 3,040,000 in 1969) and bottomed in 2002 (Clinton's last year) at 2,630,000. Civilian employees rose slightly under Bush-43 to 2,692,000 and rose slightly again under Obama to 2,776,000 in 2010 the last year for which I have records.