Demographers work in many areas of state and local government such as pensions, infrastructure, and education. Demographers look at current populations and then predict how the population will change as it grows. In pension and social security work, demographers can look at a population to see how it ages, and how many individuals will be working and how many will be retired. This in turn allows for determining how to support retired workers, as a result of a changing labor force. This is done through government departments such as the Michigan Office of Retirement Services and at the national level through the Social Security Administration.
There is also demography related work in urban and regional planning. By looking at demographics and predicting how populations will change, the need for new infrastructure can be determined. For example, if an area sees an increase in married couples, the government will be able to see the need for more schools in the future. This also helps in the creation of roads and public transportation. If a population will increase, the roadways and public transportation will become more crowded. New and bigger roads along with more efficient public transportation will be needed. This work is done through the Department of Transportation. Demography is also important in determining long and short term plans for states and municipalities that can then be enacted by policymakers.
Demography work can also be done in local, statewide, and national surveys. These survey can be gathering population statistics, public opinion, and cultural beliefs. This allows policymakers to see what key issues are and how they should be solved. These surveys also allow for policymakers to determine the popularity of current or proposed solutions to issues in the community. These surveys are done by government agencies such as the Michigan Center for Geographic Information and at the national level through the United States Census Bureau.
