Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) is a subdivision of the Executive Office of the President responsible for offering the President objective economic advice on the formulation of both domestic and international economic policy. The agency analyzes and interprets economic developments, appraises programs and policies of the federal government, and recommends economic policies that will promote employment, production, and purchasing power. It was established in 1946.

In FY 2024,

$4.46M

was spent by the Council of Economic Advisers
In FY 2024,

0.4%

of Executive Office of the President spending was by the Council of Economic Advisers

How much does the Council of Economic Advisers spend?

The Council of Economic Advisers spent a net total of $4.46 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.4% of the $1 billion spent by the Executive Office of the President, which itself was 0.015% of all federal spending. The CEA ranked 8th among EOP subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.

The Council of Economic Advisers ranked 8th among Executive Office of the President divisions in net spending in 2024.

EOP net spending by division, FY 2024

Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Council of Economic Advisers’ federal spending has decreased from $8.35 million in 1980 to $4.46 million in 2024.

The Council of Economic Advisers’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Yearly federal net spending by CEA, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024

Since 1980, the Council of Economic Advisers' spending has decreased 46.6%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. CEA spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, CEA accounted for 0.000066% of overall federal spending.

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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.

The Council of Economic Advisers’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by CEA as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024

Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, all of the Council of Economic Advisers' spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net CEA spending.

How did the Council of Economic Advisers spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to CEA, FY 2024

How many people work for the Council of Economic Advisers?

Some 25 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Council of Economic Advisers as of September 2024. This is 7.4% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Council of Economic Advisers has decreased 7.4% since 2010.

Number of federal employees working for CEA, September 2010–2024

The Council of Economic Advisers accounts for 0.0011% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a smaller share of the overall federal workforce in 2024 compared to 2010 (0.0013%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Council of Economic Advisers' share of the workforce (0.0011%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.000066%).

Who leads the Council of Economic Advisers?

The CEA is led by the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers. This individual is nominated by the President of the United States and requires confirmation by the Senate. The Chair reports directly to the President. There is not a fixed term for this position.

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Methodology

USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.

Page sources

USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.

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