In last week’s newsletter we talked about “The Great Resignation” by workers in this country and just this past week Senator Jeff Brandes held hearings where several state agencies reported their struggles to fill vacant positions. Many openings involve direct service and care to people – a mission-critical part of government’s function.
Among the worst off are the Department of Corrections (with 5,849 current open positions), the Agency for Persons with Disabilities, Department of Children and Families, and the Department of Juvenile Justice, which houses juvenile offenders and provides a myriad of direct support services. Senator Brandes’ Committee on Governmental Oversight and Accountability was told that many employees are leaving state government jobs because they feel overworked and underpaid.
Source: Florida Department of Management Services, January 2022 (click to enlarge)
Among those testifying was the Department of Management Services Secretary, J. Todd Inman, who said the state’s job vacancy postings increased 7% over the past three years, while the number of applicants responding to the postings fell by nearly 35%. Today, the state is receiving about 12 applications on average for each job posting, compared to an average of 37 applications per ad in September 2020. Inman said the state has gotten creative, using social media posts and recruiting at community colleges to find more applicants.
State government isn’t alone in this dilemma. Job openings across the country number 10.6 million, with 407,000 of those in the insurance/financial sector, according to the latest statistics. Nearly 400,000 employees in the insurance industry workforce are expected to retire within the next few years. Many younger workers either aren’t aware of the insurance field or don’t have an interest in it, leading to a potential talent gap right around the corner. Each of us who work hard to serve policyholders and respect this industry need to put on our recruiting hat today, to find tomorrow’s worker!
You’ll notice fewer stories in this newsletter and those during the legislative session, as we focus our efforts at monitoring relevant legislation to report. Up next, Bill Watch!
LMA Newsletter of 1-24-22
