From Jan 1999 to Jan 2010, less than zero jobs were added to the private sector. Since Jan 2010, 4.2 million private sector jobs were added.
From Jan 1999 to Jan 2010, 2.4 million govt jobs were added. Since Jan 2010, 510,000 were lost.
If it wasn't for the 2.4 million govt jobs added from 1999 to 2010, unemployment rate would be 10% right now. If govt jobs grew at the same rate from Jan 2010 to May 2012 as they did from 1999 to 2010 (1%/year), the unemployment rate would be 7.5% right now.
When Reagan left office in Jan 1989, there were 3.158 million federal govt employees. As of May 2012, there are 2.819 million. In Jan 1999, there were 2.765 million federal employees. So if you had federal employment at the same level as Jan 1989 and state and local govt employment growing 1%/year since Jan 2010, the unemployment rate would be 6.7% right now.
Private sector employment:
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES0500000001
Jan 1999: 107.402 million
Jan 2010: 106.800 million== 602,000 jobs lost over 11 years
May 2012: 111.040 million= 4.2 million added over 2.25 years
Govt Employment:
http://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CES9000000001
Jan 1999: 20.084 million
Jan 2010: 22.479 million== 2.4 million govt jobs added over 11 years
May 2012: 21.969 million= 510,000 govt jobs lost over 2.25 years