Workforce

No, America’s battery plant boom isn’t going bust – construction is on track for the biggest factories, with over 23,000 jobs planned

The future of these job-generating gigafactories, many of them in Republican states, could be at risk if the next president tries to wipe out the programs that made them possible.

Striking Boeing workers put spotlight on pensions

Growing pressure to bring back pensions isn’t isolated to the private sector. Amid inflation and a tight labor market, state and local governments have felt it too.

How Nebraska's new tech chief is moving the state out of the era of mainframes and landlines

Nebraska’s technology infrastructure is outdated and its data is largely neglected. Matthew McCarville, the state’s new CIO, has big plans to change that, and it starts with the state’s employees.

State legislators question effectiveness of federal student loans and policies

A bipartisan task force said spending more on loans for higher education doesn’t help much with affordability. The task force called on the feds to rethink how they work with states.

What other states can learn from Indiana’s investment in quantum technology

COMMENTARY | The emerging technology holds the promise of transforming public services at the state and local levels. Indiana’s collaborative model is a blueprint for states seeking to cash in on quantum.

Going into 2025, cities plan for leaner budgets

A survey of city finance officials found that at least half are wary of the coming year and are forecasting more conservative revenue estimates.

Biden administration forgives $4.5B in student debt for public service workers

The president said that more than 1 million public servants to date have had their federal student debt canceled.

Preschools teach ‘hardly any math,’ even as students struggle in later grades

Math advocates say more early math, taught through play or games, can help students later.

This state is shrinking the public-private pay gap for state workers

Nationally, public employees earn nearly 15% less than their private sector peers—including benefits.

Amid tight budgets and talent gaps, the job of state technology chief just keeps expanding

Many state chief information security officers say they don’t have a reliable budget, staff or expertise to adequately protect against cyberattacks, according to a new survey.

Governors' salaries are absurd—but not for the reason you think

COMMENTARY | Objecting to pay raises for governors and mayors is an empty gesture.

Congress averts a shutdown, setting up a lame duck fight in December

A stopgap funding bill is heading to Biden's desk as Congress staves off a pre-election shutdown.

Want your community to be climate resilient? Put someone in charge.

COMMENTARY | As billions of federal climate dollars flood state and local coffers, governments need people in place who have the authority to coordinate, fund and carry out a plan to build resilience.

Bipartisan deal looks to punt shutdown threat into December

States and cities don't need to fear federal worker furloughs in the near future.

These counties are recruiting teenagers to shore up a corrections guard shortage

Two counties in Texas house training programs in local high schools as officials pitch corrections jobs as gateways to criminal justice careers.

AI fatigue

COMMENTARY | It's true, workers are already experiencing AI burnout. Here's how leaders can recognize and manage it.

An experiment to help newly arrived migrants and asylum-seekers find work isn’t cheap—but doing nothing might cost more

COMMENTARY | A Denver pilot program aims to increase the odds that migrants will secure employment as soon as they’re allowed to work.

Two years later, money from the CHIPS Act is moving

Now that more than half of the almost $53 billion federal investment has been spoken for, the real work has begun as state and local governments look to cash in. Here’s what experts say officials need to do.

Humans of Public Service inspires a new generation of government employees

About 850,000 state and local jobs went unfilled last year, as public agencies struggle to find workers. This nonprofit is using social media to entice them.