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.
DHS is using federal funds to reimburse local police who partner with ICE, a policy that could reshape law enforcement in rural communities with limited staffing and resources.
California’s official unemployment rate is 7.5 percent. But a newer method of measuring unemployment reveals a far larger portion of the state is struggling to find full-time employment that pays enough to cover the cost of living.
The right to disconnect can be the catalyst an organization needs to review its workplace policies. But what’s really needed is a cultural shift that gives workers more control over how they work.
The Division of Occupational Safety and Health board will not enact its own worker vaccine mandate while the federal mandate is under legal review. The state’s emergency COVID workplace rules remain in effect.
The city will alter routes across the city to reduce wait times and improve service as it continues to grapple with a bus driver shortage and low ridership numbers. Full service could resume next year.
From 2010 to 2019, the state’s median household income rose 44 percent, from about $47,000 to $67,000, the most of any state. Experts are not yet sure what caused the large increase.
The Department of Workforce Development has adjusted training and workload, but high demand has led to turnover among judges, significantly delaying the unemployment claims process.
Gavin Newsom spent two weeks out of the public eye, then explained that he had wanted to spend time with his children. Some state lawmakers lauded the decision, while others claimed it was a violation of the public trust.
If Hispanics in the U.S. were an independent country, they’d have the world’s seventh-largest economy. They will also account for the majority of new adults entering the workforce in coming years.
A newly launched Gender Equity Dashboard shows that the gender pay gap increased by 6 percent between 2016 and 2019 and experts are worried the pandemic has only worsened the divide.
Only 53 percent of Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s 16,070 employees have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared with 74 percent of LAPD employees.
Though many businesses continue to allow remote work options, a number of companies have recently established headquarters in the state. Many expect the hybrid work week will give employees the best of both worlds.
A top cabinet member in the Parson administration and a Kansas City superintendent recently announced their sudden resignations without reason, possibly harming the public’s trust in local government.
An audit found that between July 2020 and June 2021, 3.3 percent of unemployment payments went to scammers, an increase of 2 percent from previous years, and nonfraud overpayments rose by 20.9 percent.
The state’s drop in birth rate has been happening faster than the national average, despite high rates of immigration. Soon, Texas will need to bring in workers from other states to meet labor demands.
Gov. Newsom required state workers to get vaccinated against COVID-19 or undergo weekly testing, but many state agencies continue to have low vaccination rates and are not administering weekly testing.
Technology leaders from Connecticut, Minnesota and Vermont shared their approaches to digital service delivery and developing those services “in a way that brings people in.”
Workers across the state quit their job nearly 120,000 times in August, up 30,000 from the same time last year. Nationally, American workers have quit 20 million jobs between April and August.
A recent analysis found that women lost $46 billion and that people of color lost $61 billion in California during 2020 due to the gender and race pay gaps. California has the second smallest gender pay gap in the nation.
One day after the city’s vaccine mandate went into effect, police officers and firefighters are unable to report to work for not being vaccinated. Some have filed for an exemption while others are facing separation.
Establishing a union amongst home health-care workers could ensure access to necessary supplies and better wages, but there are challenges, ranging from employees who typically work alone to high turnover rates.
As Washington state’s vaccine mandate began this week, officials warned workers who quit or are fired over the governor’s vaccine mandate shouldn’t expect to receive unemployment aid. But there are many exceptions.
The state Department of Transportation is looking to hire 500 seasonal plow drivers ahead of winter, but is struggling to find workers. Without enough drivers, clearing roads of snow could take much longer than in prior years.
The state received a warning from the federal government in May 2020 to avoid overly lenient qualifications for pandemic unemployment assistance. The state didn’t update its requirements until June 2021.
A coalition of police officers, firefighters and other city employees have claimed that the city’s COVID-19 vaccine and testing rules are discriminatory. The city has a vaccination rate of approximately 78 percent.
Unlike some government jobs, public finance positions often pay better than private-sector competitors. But an aging workforce and departures at senior levels present challenges.
Most state CIOs expect remote work to continue and for digital services to keep proliferating. That introduces a host of shifting priorities, including a renewed need for cybersecurity enhancements and identity tools.
The law, which ensured employees two weeks of COVID-related paid leave, has expired, forcing many low-wage workers, especially those in agriculture, to choose between their health or their salary.
The law affecting nondisclosure agreements also prevents employers from offering severance agreements that block displaced workers from talking about unlawful acts in the workplace. The law goes into effect on Jan. 1, 2022.
Gov. Ned Lamont’s mandate will place state workers who refuse to get vaccinated against COVID-19 on unpaid leave for up to 45 days, and they will also be ineligible for jobless pay. 2.2 percent of workers are still noncompliant.
19 state workers participated in a scheme to fraudulently collect unemployment benefit payments while still holding full-time jobs. Only one was fired, eight were briefly suspended and none were prosecuted.
