Paul Krugman Misleads About Federal Workforce

Plus, the Wall Street Journal smears a Zionist founding father

This chart undercuts Paul Krugman’s claim that the federal workforce is no larger than it was under President Eisenhower.

Nobel laureate economist

Paul Krugman

has left the New York Times for a Substack-based column, a departure he attributed in part to the fact that “in 2024, the editing of my regular columns went from light touch to extremely intrusive.”

Krugman’s column today could have used some heavier editing. He complains about what he calls “DOGE’s obsession with finding ways to lay off federal workers.” He shows a pie chart to demonstrate that “This makes no sense as a priority if you know anything about where the taxpayer dollar goes.” He asserts, “The federal work force is no larger now than it was under Dwight Eisenhower.”

As the above chart from the St. Louis Fed indicates clearly, it’s not accurate that “The federal work force is no larger now than it was under Dwight Eisenhower.”