Associated Press (07/28/23) Lieb, David A.

Public employers across the country have struggled to fill jobs, resulting in one of the biggest surges in state government pay in 15 years. Many cities, counties, and school districts are boosting wages to retain and attract workers amid aggressive competition from private sector companies.

Uncompetitive wages are the most common reason for leaving cited in exit interviews, according to a survey of 249 state and local government human resource managers by nonprofit MissionSquare Research Institute. The most difficult jobs to fill included police and corrections officers, doctors, nurses, engineers, and jobs requiring commercial driver’s licenses.

This article originally appeared on apnews.com. Use this link to see the full article, but please note a subscription is required: Mounting job vacancies push state and local governments into a wage war for workers