(CNSNews.com) – The number of workers employed by the government went up 324,000 between July and August while the number of workers in the private sector declined 278,000, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In the employment numbers released today, the BLS shows there were 20,041,000 government workers in July 2013. In August, that number had climbed to 20,365,000 – an increase of 324,000 people on the government payroll.

That’s government employment level, seasonally adjusted, for male and female workers ages 16 and over.

At the same time, July to August 2013, the workforce in the private sector fell from 113,164,000 to 112,886,000 – a decline of 278,000.

Those are seasonally adjusted, private industry workers, ages 16 and over.