Diario Libre reports that of the 2004 budget’s total, 25% (or $30.3 billion) will go to pay wages. The newspaper says that in 2000, there were 261,006 government workers, but in 2001 this number increased to 287,727. By 2002, this figure was up yet again to 303,275, to where it currently stands at 315,615 employees. These Central Bank numbers do not include all the fixed allotments to non-payroll employees assigned by the government, nor the so called “nominillas” or sub-payrolls of individual government departments that pay for supposed temporary workers.