DHR reports 1,851 openings and 886 vacancies; turnover at about 12% as classification work continues

The Department of Human Resources told the Senate Appropriations Committee on Jan. 27 that hiring demand and vacancies remain significant while turnover and retirement trends are changing.

Commissioner Beth Bastigy reported the department recorded 1,851 job openings over the fiscal year and that the public vacancy dashboard currently shows 886 vacancies, with about 469 of those actively in recruitment. She said the department has seen “record numbers” of applicants since December and called the job market softened compared with pandemic-era tightness.

Bastigy said the department's turnover rate is about 12%, primarily driven by voluntary departures and a recent uptick in retirements relative to the last few years; she expects retirements to continue rising by the end of FY26. HR also processes a substantial operational workload—Bastigy told the committee the department processed 257,286 paychecks last year and completed about 80% of employment‑misconduct investigations within an 80‑day internal target.

The classification modernization project, funded with prior one‑time funds and underway with an external vendor, is intended to redesign job architecture and job families; Bastigy said the first phase focuses on reviewing the classification system and that potential compensation changes would be considered separately and subject to bargaining.

Next steps: HR pointed senators to its public vacancy dashboard for details and said it will continue recruitment outreach and vendor work on classification design. No committee action or vote on hiring policy was recorded in the transcript.