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By the Numbers: The National Park Service Workforce

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Interpretive ranger Don Clark, a permanent employee currently assigned to Crater Lake National Park, gives a talk on the deep blue lake's physical, chemical, and biological characteristics. Bob Janiskee photo.

These figures provide a snapshot of the National Park Service work force as of March 31, 2007. The Department of the Interior asked the National Park Service and other DOI bureaus to use this particular date for workforce planning purposes. Anyone using these statistics should bear in mind that seasonal employment in March is always well below the typical high season level.

20,068

Total workforce – that is, the sum of permanent, term, and temporary employees.

15,828

Number of permanent employees. These rangers, natural and cultural resource specialists, maintenance craft specialists, administrative staff, and other full-time workers account for almost 80% of the total workforce.

2,984

Number of temporary employees. A temporary employee has an appointment lasting one year or less, with a specified expiration date. Temporary workers are hired to meet agency needs that do not require permanent employees. Though they may be hired for a specific project, or for duties that will soon be terminated due to reorganization or abolishment, they are normally hired for annually recurring work, especially assisting during high-visitation, peak work load periods. Dubbed "seasonals" for this reason, temporary workers account for about one-seventh (15%) of the NPS workforce.

1,256

Number of term employees. These are non-permanent workers who are hired for a specified length of time exceeding one year, but not more than four years. Though funding uncertainty or the contracting out of a function are underlying reasons for many term appointments, a term appointee is normally hired to help with a project, cope with an extraordinary workload, or assume duties related to a reorganization or the scheduled abolishment of a position. Term employees account for about 7% of the NPS work force.

Assisting the agency's paid work force are about 167,000 Volunteers-In-Parks (VIP) volunteers. The approximately 5.4 million hours of time they donate each year is the equivalent of around 2,600 permanent employees.

Comments

Of the 15,828 permament employees - only about 15-18% or so are "rangers." A number that surprises most people who think most or all park jobs are rangers. By far, the majority of jobs are maintenance positions.


Workforce...I am currently employed by the NPS in NY State. I am also being let go in two weeks, anybody no why? Our leadership at our park is bragging about the large ammount of Stimulus dollars floating in from DC, yet nine of us laborers are being let go two months early, and that makes us uneligable for unemployment. I guess that the "job creation" hyped by Obama is yet another of his lies??? Nice to see that the NPS can rebuild three insignificant dams along the creek flowing through the property, I guess thats more important than "our " families.


Laborer - ask the superintendent. You should be able to get a good answer. I have been a superintendent for more than 20 years and I welcome employees who have reasonable questions about management decisions. I cannot, of course, know exactly what is going on in your park. But, it might have to do with the Continuing Resolution. Because we have no 2010 budget, parks are expected to reduce spending to past levels and be cautious in making commitments. Many parks are letting seasonal employees go in order to adhere to the directives of the CR. Yes, it is nuts.


Thank you for responding...I will ask to see our super. (who just purchased a new set of office furniture, care of the American taxpayer, for $9,000.00)


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