Workforce

An Often-Overlooked Reason for Public Sector Job Vacancies

Agencies have struggled to recruit and retain workers, but it’s not uncommon for them to hold jobs open in order to shift salary dollars around in their budgets to cover other costs.

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

Report: 14% of Young Adults Want to Work for Government

They preferred businesses of any size to government or nonprofit work.

  • By Kirsten Errick

The Industries Most Affected by America’s Labor Shortage

COMMENTARY | Lawmakers and government officials need to seek out solutions now and build their workforce development strategies around them. 

  • By Fabian Sandoval

State & Local Roundup: Wealth Tax Proposals on the Rise

While some states debate the so-called millionaires taxes, others are weighting cuts to levies on income and property. Plus: News you can use from across the country.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

Michigan to Automatically Expunge Some Criminal Records Under ‘Clean Slate’ Program

State officials will automatically allow for certain convictions to be expunged in an effort to remove hurdles to jobs and housing.

  • By Stephanie Kanowitz

Federal Watchdog Pegs Pandemic Unemployment Fraud at Over $60B

But the Government Accountability Office also cautioned that a firm estimate is tough to pin down. The analysis looks at an 18-month period starting in 2020.

  • By Natalie Alms

NYC Mayor Eliminates More than 4,300 Vacant Job Openings

The positions were cut in Mayor Eric Adams' latest financial plan. The city's authorized headcount for its municipal workforce remains upwards of 300,000.

  • By Annie McDonough

State & Local Roundup: A Historic Week for a New Governor

Plus: Pennsylvania ditches state job degree requirements. Pickleball! News you can use from across the country.

  • By Elizabeth Daigneau

As His First Order of Business, a New Governor Drops College Degree Requirements for State Jobs

The executive order from Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro–affecting 65,000 jobs–came on his first full day in office.

  • By Justin Sweitzer

The Next Frontier in Employee Hiring and Retention

COMMENTARY | Paper-based processes are weighing governments down and hurting their ability to attract and retain the best talent. It’s 2023, it’s time to digitize.

  • By Michael “MJ” Jackson

When the Infrastructure Boom Meets the Workforce Crash

With federal dollars pouring into state and local governments for infrastructure, there’s one huge challenge: Who will do all the work?

  • By Katherine Barrett & Richard Greene

A Recipe for Supporting Our Innovation Nation

COMMENTARY | How should the public and private sectors work together to ensure the U.S. remains the global leader in technology? Here are four key steps.

  • By Ahmad Thomas
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Ford Plant Halted in Virginia Over Concerns About China

Gov. Glenn Youngkin told reporters that his administration “felt that the right thing to do was to not recruit Ford as a front for China to America.”

  • By Sarah Vogelsong, Virginia Mercury

Colorado’s DOT Goes from Building Roads to Building Homes

In an effort to attract and retain workers, the department is taking on the role of developer to provide affordable housing. It is just one way the public sector is working to fill vacancies.

  • By Molly Bolan

To Get Off Fossil Fuels, America Is Going to Need a Lot More Electricians

A shortage of skilled labor could derail efforts to "electrify everything."

  • By Emily Pontecorvo, Grist

What Keeps Public Employees In Their Jobs? It’s Not Just Pay

There are several factors more important than money in reducing staff turnover among government workers, a new study shows.

  • By Gordon Abner and Hyunkang Hur

Diversity of US Workplaces Is Growing in Terms of Race, Ethnicity and Age – Forcing More Employers to Be Flexible

COMMENTARY | Employers need good strategies to hire and retain more workers of color and older workers. The mandatory diversity training and requisite skills tests many of them now rely on don’t measure up.

  • By Adia Harvey Wingfield, The Conversation

How to Transform the Public-Sector Workforce

COMMENTARY | Enact a strategy that embraces people, purpose, growth and learning in your organization.

  • By Neena Kovuru

Here Are 4 Ways to Train Workers for Green Jobs

COMMENTARY | There are not enough skilled workers to meet the rapid growth in green and sustainability jobs available. Here are four ways to get employees the necessary training.

  • By Christopher Boone and Karen C. Seto, The Conversation

New York City Government Lifts Residency Requirements for Some Lawyer Positions Amid Shortage

Certain attorneys have been added to a list of hard-to-recruit civil service titles that are exempt from the city’s residency rules.

  • By Annie McDonough

The Fresh Economic Development Strategy Emerging in the Midwest

Instead of prioritizing tax breaks for new factories, some cities are trying to attract residents by promoting quality of life benefits.

  • By Sharon O'Malley