CAP: Investments in the State and Local Government Workforce Will Deliver Crucial Services and Create Economic Security

- Click here for the article.

State and local government employees deliver critical services to constituents every day. They operate the nation’s buses and trains; deliver essential safety net services, such as housing, cash assistance, and health and unemployment insurance; teach and care for children; and contain infectious diseases and protect the safety of the nation’s water, food, and air. Yet the state and local government workforce has struggled to regain pandemic-related job losses, with 695,000 fewer people employed compared with pre-pandemic numbers. Its labor market recovery has been notably slower than that of the private sector, despite infusions of federal funds. A slower recovery in state and local government jobs not only affects constituents who directly rely upon their services but also has devastating impacts on the economic security of those most likely to work in these jobs, disproportionately women and workers of color.

This report provides an overview of why investing in the local and state government workforce is critical for direct service provision and economic security. It includes new analysis showing that the occupations that experienced the largest job losses in 2021 compared with pre-pandemic levels facilitate direct service delivery to constituents. It also includes recommendations for how state and local governments can create a sustainable workforce in the long term through investments in hiring, recruitment, training, and compensation. It is imperative that governments work to address these job losses and strengthen this critical workforce.

State and local governments deliver the services that most Americans interact with every day. These sectors have significant control and impact in many areas:

- Public health infrastructure
- State universities
- Community colleges
- Workforce development systems
- K-12 education
- Public benefit programs, such as TANF and unemployment insurance

They license hundreds of critical occupations; provide law enforcement services; provide housing; oversee elections; and operate highways, parks, libraries, recreation centers, playgrounds, and museums. State and local governments are woven into the very fabric and functioning of our daily lives. For these services to be accessible to constituents, state and local governments need to be at full staffing and operational capacity.