Fullerton reports vacancy rate down from COVID peak; dispatch and specialized technical roles still hard to fill

Human Resources Director Manfro presented Fullerton’s first annual vacancies and recruitment report under Assembly Bill 2561, telling the council that the city is budgeted for 614 full-time positions and that, as of March 1, 65 were vacant — a vacancy rate of approximately 11%. Manfro said that rate is a substantial improvement from the near-25% vacancy peak during the COVID period.

Manfro and staff attributed the improvement to multi-year labor agreements that raised salary floors and benefits, reduced turnover (from about 16% during 2020–22 to about 6% in the current fiscal year), and produced a roughly 30% increase in successful candidates reaching eligible lists. Manfro summarized recruitment activity for the fiscal year as having established 36 eligible lists.

Councilmembers asked about specific recruitments. Staff said the economic development manager position had been vacant for about two years while the prior incumbent moved into a director role; an eligible list has been established and interviews completed. Police dispatch vacancies remain a national challenge, staff said, but Fullerton’s dispatcher numbers have improved compared with a critical staffing level two to three years ago. Water-system technical positions were noted as difficult to recruit because special districts and other local employers can often pay higher salaries.

Mayor and councilmembers asked for more granular comparisons and asked that future reports include absolute numbers for past years (not just percentages) and attrition details. Staff offered to follow up with a written report and said the city will pursue broader recruitment outreach, including targeted professional platforms.