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.
To maintain productivity and safety, some jobs are installing robot coworkers. Labor unions worry that the robots will continue to occupy jobs after the pandemic ends while others say they will free up workers for other positions.
Without Congressional and statewide extensions to worker benefit programs, millions of workers could be left with just three days of paid sick leave and eight weeks of paid family leave per year.
At least nine states are using short-term training programs to help combat the economic downturn caused by the coronavirus pandemic. But some experts want to fund community colleges to improve the payoff.
Three workers in San Francisco, Calif., have filed a class-action lawsuit against three city agencies, alleging they were paid less, denied promotions and subjected to harassment all due to their race.
Many public leaders long believed that the people’s business could not be done from outside the walls of government buildings, but COVID-19 showed government can function from anywhere — quickly.
Work from home was at first a temporary pandemic solution, but as public and private organizations alike make remote work permanent, they’ll need to make adjustments to more than just where staff are located.
A new survey shows that public-sector employees are adapting to remote work and that many like it. It also reveals concerns that state and local government employers need to keep in mind.
A spike in unemployment claims appears to have been caused by jobless workers switching between programs and criminals trying to defraud the system. In the meantime, the state has paused payment on more than 300,000 claims.
There have been many success stories about government rapidly and effectively responding to the needs of the pandemic with technology. A new survey sheds some light on how the CARES Act helped make that happen.
Of the state’s 35 largest workplace outbreaks, safety officials received warnings before 23 occurred and only inspected two of them. OSHA has received 11,000 complaints about COVID safety risks and violations.
State Auditor Pat McCarthy has criticized the employment department director for imposing constraints on the audit investigating the agency’s slow response to the state’s multimillion-dollar loss to job benefit fraud.
The incoming administration’s ambitious goals of the nation becoming 100 percent clean energy and net-zero by 2050 could produce more clean energy jobs for rural Michiganders, especially for Detroit’s automobile market.
California’s employment agency faces hundreds of millions of dollars in unemployment benefit claims fraud as scammers and inmates have filed for and collected jobless pay.
Women continue to leave the workforce to meet childcare needs at a disproportionate rate compared to men. Experts are worried this could create greater challenges in finding work and increasing wages in the future.
When federal unemployment aid ends on Dec. 31, the state’s benefits will return to a maximum of $275 a week. Republican lawmakers aren’t interested in increased benefits, while Democrats have proposed a substantial boost.
Even as job numbers continue to improve, the number of state residents collecting unemployment benefits at the end of October was approximately 25 times greater than the same time last year.
The number of people working in local government continues to rise at a slow pace, and remains well below last year's level. However, the incoming administration has promised to prioritize state and local government aid.
As the industry continues to grow, there could be as many as 3.5 million unfilled positions by 2021. To help fill this gap, Detroit’s cybersecurity industry is looking to find ways to build student interest and diversity.
State and local government workers were worried about their finances even before the pandemic. Helping them and their families navigate the impacts of the economy is more important than ever.
The U.S. added 638,000 nonfarm jobs in October and the jobless rate fell to 6.9 percent. While there is still a long way to go to return to pre-pandemic levels, many are hopeful with the economic gains.
While the state claims its unemployment assistance numbers have dropped by 2.6 million, some of that decline is simply claimants switching to federal assistance after exhausting aid available from Missouri.
The state’s Employment Security Department reported a 24.3 percent drop in new claims last week. But workers are still filing new claims at nearly three times the rate of a year ago as doubts rise over federal help.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a law last month that will make it easier, quicker and cheaper for refugees, asylum seekers and those with special immigrant visas to get professional licensing.
While many employers do allow workers to take time to go vote, there is no state law that requires the allowance. For some, keeping politics out of the workplace is, legally, the simplest choice.
While many who can are working from home, those that have returned to an office space have found it difficult to stay six feet apart. Some companies find sensors and plexiglass aren’t strong enough to overcome human nature.
Many rideshare drivers were relying on their gig work as their primary source of income, and then the pandemic forced many to stop working. As COVID continues, many worry how much longer they can survive.
More than 7,200 out of 8,500 state employees continue to telework, providing the state an opportunity to shrink its office footprint, and potentially saving $1.2 million annually in Bismarck office rental payments.
With increasing child care and distance learning demands, thousands of women are dropping out of the national workforce. Many are concerned over the lasting impact their leaving will have on the makeup of the workforce.
To offset the COVID-induced deficit California enacted furloughs for state agencies, including the Employment Development Department. If workers hadn’t had to take time off, 62,000 more claims could have been processed.
A new report from Forrester finds governments lack an employee experience that fosters a productive and resilient workforce. How the public sector responds during COVID could change the worker dynamic, however.
