The public sector is (finally) filling more vacancies, report finds

Things are finally looking up for the state and local government workforce. Since the pandemic, the public sector has faced an uphill climb to return to pre-pandemic employment levels after the private sector bounced back a year before government did. Plus, human resources managers raised alarms last year about high turnover rates, disrupting governments' progress. But now, it seems state and local governments' efforts to recruit and retain staff are actually paying off. 

According to a report released last week by the MissionSquare Research Institute, HR managers reported that they are filling vacancies in several key government occupations, such as information technology, emergency dispatch and policing. The share of governments reporting difficulty in hiring across these 11 essential occupations decreased by at least 10 percentage points since 2022. Managers reported the largest improvements in filling jobs in government IT, transportation and transit, and building permitting and inspections. 

The report also found that managers saw marked progress in human and social services, nursing, and firefighting and emergency medical services. The findings are based on a survey conducted in early 2024 among 300 state and local government HR managers.

“The fact that fewer organizations are saying that they’re difficult to recruit for is definitely a hopeful sign,” Gerald Young, senior research analyst at MissionSquare Research Institute. But while the findings are certainly positive, Young cautioned that state and local agencies still have a ways to go before upending the yearslong workforce shortage. 

While agencies are seeing broad improvements, he added many governments “have not been able to attract sufficient qualified candidates for the vacancies they have.” More than half of respondents said the number of vacant positions for jobs like corrections officers, engineers and maintenance workers still outnumber the number of qualified individuals applying to them. 

That said, the report suggests that several strategies state and local governments are using to recruit and retain employees, such as pay incentives or flexible work environments, are having a positive impact.

Some government agencies are experimenting with shorter work weeks, which can appeal to individuals’ desire for greater flexibility in the workplace. The survey found nearly 20% of governments have workweeks shorter than 40 hours, which Young said can help reduce employee burnout and stress, which are commonly cited as reasons why people leave their jobs. 

One survey participant reported that flexible schedules encourage “people to prioritize their home life so they are better prepared to come to the office and work. It also allows some to work from home and there has been notable increase in productivity, fewer sick days, and better morale and culture.” 

Financial incentives or benefits are another way agencies are attracting and retaining employees. The number of governments offering paid family leave, for example, increased from 33% in 2023 to 48% this year, the report found. Young said agencies should advertise the benefits they offer as they may not be as generous as those provided by the private sector. 

One way agencies can improve retention is to conduct “stay interviews” with current workers. The specific questions for stay interviews will vary from agency to agency, but Young said managers can ask employees about their career goals and what’s satisfying or not satisfying them about their current position. 

Only 12% of respondents said they use stay interviews to encourage employee retention and development, compared to 74% who said they use exit interviews, so the practice is not prevalent yet, Young said. More agencies should consider stay interviews as “an opportunity that … could give them an earlier warning of whether there are people who are considering leaving.” 

Preventing employees from leaving is crucial for state and local governments, who are already understaffed, particularly as more than half—54%—of respondents said they anticipate a wave of retirements in the next few years. To attract workers to stay in state and local government jobs and prepare for retirements, agencies should focus on training and upskilling current workers, Young said. 

Helping individuals develop new skills and advance their careers is another way governments can appeal more to potential hires, he added. “We’re seeing increasing attention to mentorships, so that is a positive development from a retention standpoint.” 

Social media has also grown as a recruitment tactic, Young said, as it can help agencies reach a wider audience when advertising vacant positions. In fact, 59% of respondents said they use social media as a recruitment practice. Agencies can leverage social media platforms to share more about what a job entails, particularly the positive impact on communities it can have, beyond its “bureaucratic” title and description. 

Indeed, 15% of survey respondents said they are building communications campaigns to promote the value of public service. With more younger workers reporting they want jobs that can help their communities and improve government services, Young said such campaigns can help “get across the idea that this is not simply a job in IT or a job in engineering, it’s a job … in which you can be of service to your community.”

Another way social media can be used was highlighted by one survey respondent who said their government’s “social media-based employee recognition program has increased employee morale and educated the community about our workforce.” 

Ultimately, among state and local governments, “there have been improvements in the success of recruitment efforts,” Young said, which can be attributed in part to governments stepping up their hiring and retention efforts in recent years by offering more workplace flexibility, benefits and employee development opportunities.

Those services, he said, will continue to be a major factor in how individuals feel about the organization they choose to work for.