Government

What does the do?

Updates published annually

The Economic Research Service (ERS) is a subdivision of the Department of Agriculture responsible for providing economic research and analysis on policy related to agriculture, food, the environment, and rural development. The agency conducts research to inform public and private decision-making on topics such as agricultural productivity, food safety, and the economic well-being of rural America. It was established in 1961.

In FY 2024,

$311M

was spent by the Economic Research Service
In FY 2024,

0.2%

of Dept. of Agriculture spending was by the Economic Research Service

How much does the Economic Research Service spend?

The Economic Research Service spent a net total of $310.5 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 0.2% of the $203.4 billion spent by the Department of Agriculture, which itself was 3% of all federal spending. The ERS ranked 19th among USDA 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 Economic Research Service ranked 19th among Department of Agriculture divisions in net spending in 2024.

USDA 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 Economic Research Service’s federal spending has increased from $144.6 million in 1980 to $310.5 million in 2024.

The Economic Research Service’s federal spending in FY 2024 was higher than in FY 1980.

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

Since 1980, the Economic Research Service's spending has increased 114.7%, 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. ERS spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, ERS accounted for 0.0046% 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 Economic Research Service’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.

Net spending by ERS 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 Economic Research Service's spending was direct.
The chart below outlines all net ERS spending.

How did the Economic Research Service spend its budget in 2024?

Federal government net spending isolated to ERS, FY 2024

How many people work for the Economic Research Service?

Some 290 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Economic Research Service as of September 2024. This is 26.2% fewer people than the division staffed in 2010.

The number of federal employees working for the Economic Research Service has decreased 26.2% since 2010.

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

The Economic Research Service accounts for 0.013% 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 September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.019%).
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 Economic Research Service's share of the workforce (0.013%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0046%).

Who leads the Economic Research Service?

The ERS is led by an administrator. This individual iThis individual is appointed to the position and does not require Senate confirmation. There is no 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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