Over here on State and Local Spotlight we have spent the past few weeks talking to and learning all about the state and local workforce– who is in it, what they’re doing, and what the current trends are. For this week’s spotlight post we wanted to highlight some of the most interesting trends for you. To give you a better idea of what the state and local landscape looks like here are 12 facts and figures from across the workforce:
State and Local Women
•The District of Columbia is the best state for gender equality with women earning 94.8 percent of men’s earnings in 2012. Tweet this
• Colorado ranks highest among states with female representation, with 41 percent of state legislative seats held by women. Tweet this
• Among the 100 largest cities in the U.S., only 12 have female mayors. Tweet this
Employment Trends
• Over the past year, all state government grew by .66 percent and all local government employment grew by .12 percent. Tweet this
• In 2014-2015 monthly job openings in state and local gov averaged 408,000 while month layoffs averaged 82,333. Tweet this
• In the second quarter of 2015, the 12-month change in employer costs for employee compensation rose 1.9 percent for wages and 2.7 percent for benefits for state and local employees. Tweet this
Workforce Changes
• From 2014-2015 there was 36 percent broad-based pay increases across the state and local workforce. Tweet this
• 73 percent of state and local organizations hired full time employees over the past year. Tweet this
• Only 6 percent of state and local agencies issued layoffs in the past year. Tweet this
Retaining and Recruiting
• The most desirable skill sets in new state and local hires are interpersonal skills (64%), technology knowledge (60%) and written communication (41%). Tweet this
• 84 percent of state and local agencies most successfully recruited new talent from online job advertisements. Tweet this
• Some of the most difficult state and local positions to fill right now are accountants, IT professionals, engineers and nurses. Tweet this
Still not enough numbers for you? Check out GovLoop’s new guide The Workforce Behind State and Local Government for more information on all of your favorite state and local positions.
Thanks for the tweets! What is the source of these stats? According to the Center for American Women and Politics, there are 19 female mayors in the 100 largest cities. (Although their list doesn’t include Charlotte mayor Jennifer Roberts.) 19 isn’t a lot better than 12, but every bit counts 🙂 http://www.cawp.rutgers.edu/levels_of_office/women-mayors-us-cities-2016
Thank you Courtney for posting.
In reporting on environmental policy performances in the 50 states (litterscorecard.com), I already knew women had MUCH higher representation in Colorado and states W. of the Mississippi. Several blue, “east of the Mississippi” states, claimed by the media–and themselves– as “progressive” governments (NY, MA, MD, VA, MI) are instead heavily influenced by very old-fashioned, ‘out of touch with modern times’ Traditional Political Culture:-white- males still dominate top posts, such as governorship, Attorney General, etc. And unlike much of the west, some of these eastern regimes still severely limit, or do not allow at all, truly “open” local and county government meetings where citizens don’t just watch, but can speak (at least a little bit) during their elected officials “get-together.” These five mentioned states sorely need major legal and cultural reforms.