T he manner in which staff are deployed within an organization may reflect the missions and priorities of that organization. This report provides staffing levels in Senators', committee, leadership, and other offices since 1977. Staff levels from committees, leadership, and officers and officials, however can be evaluated across the entire 1977-2016 time period. In the Senate, the number of staff has grown steadily, from 4,916 in 1987 to 5,749 in 2016, or 16.94%. From 1977 to 1986, excluding congressional staff from state offices, the number of staff in the Senate has grown steadily from 3,397 in 1977 to 4,180 in 1986, or 23.05%. Discussion

Since 1987, the number of staff working for the Senate has grown. There have been increases in the number of staff working in Senate leadership offices, and larger increases in the staffing of officers and officials through 2015, though 2016 saw a dip in those numbers. Staff working for Senators have shifted from committee settings to leadership settings or the personal offices. Some of these changes may be indicative of the growth of the Senate as an institution, or the value the chamber places on its various activities. Staff in Member offices has grown while staff in Senate committees has decreased, both in real numbers and in percentage of total staff.
The manner in which staff are deployed within an organization may reflect the missions and priorities of that organization. This report provides staffing levels in Senators' Senate committee, leadership, and other offices since 1977. From 1977 to 1986, Senate staff, excluding state-based staff, increased from 3,397 to 4,180, or 23.05%. From 1987 to 2016, all Senate staff grew from 4,916 to 5,749, or 16.94%. The changes in both time periods were characterized in part by increases in the number of staff working in chamber leadership offices, and, prior to 2016, increases in the staffing of chamber officers and officials. Additionally, staff working for Members have shifted from committees to the personal offices of Members. Since 2010, however, staff working for the Senate has decreased 6.79%. Some of these changes may be indicative of the growth of the Senate as an institution, or the value the chamber places on its various activities.
This report is one of several CRS products focusing on congressional staff. Others include CRS Report RL34545, Congressional Staff: Duties and Functions of Selected Positions, by R. Eric Petersen; CRS Report R43947, House of Representatives Staff Levels in Member, Committee, Leadership, and Other Offices, 1977-2016, by R. Eric Petersen and Amber Hope Wilhelm; CRS Report R44324, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senators' Offices, FY2001-FY2015, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen; CRS Report R44323, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Member Offices, 2001-2015, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen; CRS Report R44322, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in House Committees, 2001-2015, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen; and CRS Report R44325, Staff Pay Levels for Selected Positions in Senate Committees, FY2001-FY2015, coordinated by R. Eric Petersen.