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City hears concerns over staffing cuts as HR reports 15% vacancy rate under AB 2561
Summary
Human Resources presented 2025 vacancy and recruitment data under AB 2561; unions and police associations warned planned budget cuts would eliminate dozens of vacant positions and weaken city service capacity.
Monica Walker, representing Berkeley’s human resources department, told the City Council on April 21 that the city’s average vacancy rate in 2025 was about 15 percent and that HR filled 248 vacancies during the year while 229 vacancies were created. The presentation, required by Assembly Bill 2561 (government code section 3502.3), covered recruitment steps, outreach strategies and retention efforts and said HR received nearly 16,000 applications in 2025, 12,000 of them unique applicants.
The presentation noted that two bargaining units—Berkeley Fire Chief Officers Association and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers—showed vacancy…
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