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Alaska Labor Department reports rising vacancies, warns of slower service turnaround
Summary
Department of Labor and Workforce Development officials told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee that vacancies climbed to 22.2% at the end of December 2024, leaving 161 of 723 permanent positions empty and extending some customer service and program processing times.
Juneau — The Department of Labor and Workforce Development told the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee on Jan. 29 that long-term staffing losses and retirement eligibility have driven vacancy rates up and stretched some frontline services.
"We are at 22.2% vacancy here in our department," said Dan DeBartollo, the department's administrative services director. "Of that 723 total permanent positions, only 562 are filled and a 161 are vacant." He told senators the department's budgeted permanent positions fell from 939 about 15 years ago to 718 at the start of the last fiscal year, a net reduction of 221 positions.
The committee heard that the department's vacancy rate rose from about 17% in FY19 to roughly 20% at the end of FY24, and that the trend predates the pandemic. DeBartollo said part of the problem is a…
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