Workforce
State and local governments face a tight labor market and a competitive disadvantage with the private sector. But salaries aren’t the only issue, with cities, counties and states all grappling with training, retention, remote work and increased union activity.
The city had to reshuffle more than $50 million to address the unexpected shortfall, driven by overtime costs due to staffing shortages. The Fire Department alone needed an injection of $33 million to pay for unexpected overtime.
State and local officials are working to mitigate the impact of cuts to the federal workforce spearheaded by the Department of Government Efficiency, offering career services and other resources.
Georgia’s prison system sees a spike in violent deaths and severe staffing shortages, prompting urgent calls for reform and funding to address the escalating crisis.
Local officials should go on the offense to protect important initiatives that have benefited all of us. In particular, they can enlist businesses that see the benefits of their own diversity initiatives.
This outbreak feels different from any other, farmers say. Egg producers and industry groups are begging for a new prevention strategy.
A visa program created under NAFTA allows Canadian and Mexican professionals to work in the U.S. with minimal red tape. But to take advantage of it, states need to look at the Catch-22 situation created by their occupational licensing requirements.
By empowering them to bargain and providing other protections, policymakers can address frustration over flat wages and inflation, while strengthening local economies.
Understaffed police departments and concerns over public safety are spurring greater use of private security guards. But they aren't a perfect substitute.
Some programmers and engineers are willing to forego private-sector pay to find meaningful work. But governments need to be more nimble about hiring.
Finding ways to support teaching as a career, including training, innovation and community engagement, helped a Chicago-area district increase its retention rate by 23 percent in just three years.
The city’s police department has put a focus on officer mental health and well-being. That’s a big cultural change because officers often feel they need to hide their struggles.
President Trump’s executive order abolishing remote work for most employees will be good for the local economy and transit systems. Twenty percent of the federal workforce lives in the D.C. area.
As 2024 came to a close, the White House and Congress approved big giveaways to two subsets of state and local government employees and pensioners. There could be political backlash, and for equity’s sake there might be a case for some corrective tax policies.
Mayor Michelle Wu has hired more than 300 new City Hall staffers, helping fuel budget growth of 8 percent over the past year. Many of the new positions are in middle and upper management.
A 2022 law gave staff the ability to unionize. Their new contract will provide a raise of 3 percent in July and additional workplace protections.
Voters in several states, including deeply red ones, chose to make significant boosts. While the federal minimum remains stuck at $7.25, 10 states now have a wage of $15 or higher and more are headed in that direction.
There's turnover in Washington with each new administration. Departing federal workers can bring valuable skills and experience to state and local governments.
The personnel cost has doubled over the last three years. Employees have been granted more sick leave but they seem to be using more due to in-person work requirements.
California’s Democratic governor will also expand job training and credential programs to help more residents without degrees find work in the public sector.
Mayor Cherelle Parker has ordered city workers to show up at the office five days a week, leading more companies to follow suit. But hybrid work remains a new normal in many places.
Texas state Rep. Armando Martinez has been arguing for years that a law school would help the Rio Grande Valley economy and reduce brain drain. Local colleges are finally working on a plan.
A bill would allow more public employees to shift out of 401(k)-style plans into more traditional pensions, which could help with recruitment. But critics say costs are a reason the state has moved away from such plans for decades.
The school board is considering a plan to use five of its properties to build 1,000 affordable housing units. It’s a strategy more California districts are pursuing.
Hoboken suffered a “massive” cybersecurity break. Personal information including payroll and health records of city workers – some dating back to 1987 – was stolen, along with information about residents who’d applied for rental assistance.
Future in Context
An expert offers insights on how government agencies, frequent targets online, can safeguard critical infrastructure and future-proof their cybersecurity. Also under consideration: artificial intelligence’s dual role in security.
Black and Hispanic high schoolers in Texas who have to drive more than 30 minutes to a community college are more likely to forego college altogether, a new report finds.
A judge has ruled unconstitutional the core of Act 10, the state’s famous 2011 law that ended collective bargaining for most public employees. Republican legislators vowed to appeal the decision.
There are an estimated 1 million people in Louisiana that have the skills and experience to qualify for higher wage jobs, but are being restricted due to not having a college degree. But the state is working to eliminate unnecessary degree requirements.
The new law will guarantee small business employees 40 hours of paid sick leave and 56 hours per year for people working at businesses with more than 20 employees. But business owners are concerned about the financial burden of the new rule.
Seasonal retail and health-care hires did not offset the loss of jobs in the professional services and construction sectors in October, resulting in a net loss of 1,000 jobs in Minnesota.
Latinos make up ever increasing shares of student bodies and the workforce but lag behind whites in science and technical education. One North Carolina county has a promising approach.
