Public employers across the U.S. are struggling to fill jobs, leading to one of the largest surges in state government pay raises in 15 years.
Maj. Albin Narvaez stands in the gated entryway to the prison yard at the Fulton Reception and Diagnostic Center, Thursday, July 13, 2023, in Fulton, Missouri. Narvaez, who is chief of custody at the prison, said applications for correctional officers have increased since the state implemented a pay raise this spring.
Public employers across the U.S. have faced similar struggles to fill jobs, leading to one of the largest surges in state government pay raises in 15 years. Many cities, counties and school districts also are hiking wages to try to retain and attract workers amid aggressive competition from private sector employers.In Kansas City, Missouri, a shortage of 911 operators doubled the average hold times for people calling in emergencies.
The Georgia Department of Corrections used an ad agency to bolster recruitment and held an average of 125 job fairs a month. It’s starting to pay off. In the first week of July, the department received 318 correctional officer applications — nearly double the weekly norm, said department Public Affairs Director Joan Heath.
At the Fulton prison, where staff shortages have led to a standard 52-hour work week, newly hired employees can earn around $60,000 annually — an amount roughly equal to the state’s median household income. The prison also is proposing to provide free child care to correctional officers willing to work nights.
To attract workers, other governments have dropped college degree requirements and spiced up drab job descriptions. Along Florida’s east coast, the Brevard County transit system and school district have been competing for bus drivers. On days when drivers are lacking, the transit system has cut the frequency of bus stops on some routes. The school system, meanwhile, has asked some bus drivers to run a second route after dropping children off at school, often resulting in the second busload arriving late.Since 2022, the county has twice raised bus driver wages to a current rate of $17.47 an hour.
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