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County reports 6% vacancy rate, 92% retention as it meets AB 2561 reporting requirement
Summary
County staff told the Board of Supervisors that San Diego County's vacancy rate is about 6% with roughly 1,200 vacancies and a 92% year‑over‑year retention rate; no single bargaining unit exceeded the 20% threshold that would have required more detailed reporting under AB 2561.
San Diego County human resources officials on Tuesday presented the county's first annual report under Assembly Bill 2561, detailing vacancy, recruitment and retention efforts for the 12‑month period ending March 7, 2025.
Susan Brazzo, director of human resources, told the Board of Supervisors that the county has 20,477 budgeted positions and 19,251 employees, leaving a vacancy rate of about 6% (roughly 1,200 open positions). Brandy Winterbottom, assistant director of human resources, said departments conducted 706 recruitments and received more than 82,000 applications; nearly 1,700 people were hired and roughly 2,500 employees were promoted in the reporting period. No single bargaining unit exceeded the 20% vacancy threshold that would require extra statutory detail under AB 2561.
"Strong recruitment and retention leads to quality public services," said Nate Wolman, vice president of SEIU Local 221, which represents many county workers. Wolman and other union representatives used their allotted presentation time to describe localized staffing shortfalls and urged the county to expand investment in pay, training and retention efforts.
County officials described a multi‑pronged recruitment toolbox: community outreach and job fairs (98 events, including 39 veteran‑focused), same‑day hiring events (43 events resulting in 404 hires), lateral incentives for deputy sheriffs (49 hires), sign‑on compensation bonuses for engineers and probation staff, employee referral bonuses for hard‑to‑fill jobs, enhanced relocation payments and classification premiums (for example, a 5% professional‑engineer premium and a 10% location premium for clinicians in detention settings). Winterbottom said targeted pay flexibilities and top‑step hiring were also used to attract applicants for difficult classifications.
The county reported a 92% year‑over‑year retention rate and cited Gallup guidance recommending a retention rate of at least 90%. Departments identified ongoing hiring challenges in nationally tight labor markets for engineers, nurses, medical examiners, licensed behavioral health clinicians and sworn public‑safety roles.
Public commenters echoed worker concerns. County employees from public works, behavioral health and the medical examiner's office described local wage pressure, long hiring timelines and vacancies that slow service delivery. Several union speakers argued the board should free additional funds to raise pay and retain staff; county management and several supervisors described incentives already in use and said the county will continue to monitor vacancies and bring forward compensation proposals where required.
The board did not need a formal vote to accept the AB 2561 presentation; supervisors thanked staff and labor representatives and signaled willingness to continue addressing recruitment and retention during the budget process.
Ending: Supervisors said they would monitor vacancy trends into the coming fiscal year and expected the Department of Human Resources and departments to continue using targeted incentives and national recruitment channels to fill critical roles.
