White House staff

Question: How many people work in (or for) the White House?
From: WUOM listener (Ann Arbor, MI)
Date: October 22, 2004

Gleaves answers: A famous document called the “Plum Book” lists the personal appointees and staff of more than 3,400 people who serve the president of the United States. To put that number in perspective: that's more people than the entire federal government employed under our early presidents. When Thomas Jefferson was president, for example, the entire federal government (excepting the military) had fewer than 3,000 people, consisting of about 1,200 tax collectors, 1,000 postmasters, and 600 others.

Here are some other staffing levels in today's White House:
- 92 people to keep the living quarters of the mansion;
- 5 full-time chefs, including a pastry chef, to prepare the meals.