This chart shows the distribution of full-time equivalent employees across a the functions of state and local government. Almost sixty percent of state and local government workers are employed in education, including both primary and secondary as well as higher education. Public hospitals and public correctional facilities also employ substantial numbers of public servants. Other functions of government, including many that most people would consider essential such as fire and police protection, have smaller though still sizable payrolls. Government that works well for all of us requires professional public servants who know their jobs, who believe in the work they do, and who are paid a reasonable wage for their efforts.