The outlook for state and local government employment appears to be a bit brighter than in recent years, according to a recently released survey by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence and the International Public Management Association for Human Resources. The 2013 survey of State and Local Government Workforce Trends found “signs that the improving economy has begun to reach state and local governments, as they ease up on layoffs and compensation freezes imposed since the economic downturn of 2008.”
Staff development was cited as the most important issue in today’s workplace…
While hiring freezes are still in effect in many organizations, only 27 percent of state and local government organizations reported hiring freezes in 2013, down from 42 percent in 2012.
Staff development was cited as the most important issue in today’s workplace among 74 percent of respondents, followed by employee morale (70 percent) and managing workloads (68 percent).
As for retirement, the survey reported 37 percent of eligible state and local government employees postponed their plans to retire in 2013, while 22 percent accelerated their retirement date.
Approximately 75 percent of the survey respondents are employed in local government, 15 percent in state government, and the remainder in federal or “other sectors.”
The Center for State and Local Government Excellence is a non-partisan research and public policy organization focusing on workforce, employment, and retirement trends in state and local government. Its mission is to help state and local governments “become excellent employers so they can attract and retain talented public servants.”
The International Public Management Association for Human Resources is a public sector human resource organization that represents the interests of human resource professionals, and provides industry news, education, jobs, and professional development opportunities.