“That workforce is in crisis,” said Amanda Posson, who studied the trends with Every Texan and the Texas State Employees Union. You can read about their findings here.
Numbers show the turnover rate for nearly all state agencies increased last year. But as state agency staff declines, the state’s population has skyrocketed. That means fewer workers serving more people.
“The turnover is causing a lot of systemic issues that are impacting every single Texan living in the state,” Posson said.
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So why are people leaving?
“Poor wages and low compensation coupled with burnout and stress are creating this compounding effect,” Posson said.
The state auditor’s office writes that for the first time since 2008, pay and benefits were the top reason people gave for leaving.
Posson says while the legislature did make some headway on pay increases this session, “it’s not enough to close the huge gap on pay across the state.”
She says lawmakers have to do more.