New CalPERS data show that the number of state workers who have entered retirement has fallen slightly from the first nine months of 2011.

The 8,171 employees who applied for their state pensions declined 3.3 percent to 8,454 during the first nine months of 2011.

Looking ahead, it appears about the same number of state workers will retire this year as did last year, roughly 10,700. About 20 percent of state employees retire in October, November and December.

Looking at the numbers more broadly, a combined 23,808 CalPERS state government, local government and schools members applied for their retirements from January through September, a 2.9 percent decline from the the first three quarters of 2011.

The pension fund figures depicted above and in spreadsheets and charts below track service retirement applications submitted from mid-month to mid-month. So the January numbers include employees who put in their papers in mid-December. This month's data account for retirement applications submitted from mid-August to mid-September.

The figures do not include disability retirements.

Hat tip to CalPERS' Amy Norris for passing along the data.