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Berkeley HR reports 15.4% average vacancy in 2024, highlights recruiting push
Summary
Interim HR director Monica Walker told the council June 3 that Berkeley’s 2024 average vacancy rate was 15.4% and described outreach and 'Employer of Choice' initiatives that increased applications; the Berkeley Police Association and IBEW had vacancy rates above 20%.
Monica Walker, interim director of human resources, presented the city’s first AB 2561 annual report to the Berkeley City Council on June 3, outlining vacancy, recruitment and retention activity for calendar year 2024.
Walker said the city’s average vacancy rate for 2024 was 15.4% (range 14.7%–16.1%). Two bargaining units exceeded AB 2561’s 20% threshold: the Berkeley Police Association (21.2%), primarily in police‑officer classifications, and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (41.2%), in classifications including electrician and communications supervisor.
She described the city’s Employer of Choice initiative and related outreach: a dedicated careers website, social‑media and targeted advertising, a recruiting vendor and paid certified‑worker lists. Walker said those efforts contributed to an increase in applications — about 20,000 in 2024, a roughly 70% rise from earlier periods — and cited hiring and retention measures such as on‑site LiveScan fingerprinting, a paperless process, enhanced onboarding and a supervisor learning plan. She reported that 306 vacancies were filled in 2024 and that the city’s overall retention rate stood at about 92%.
Council members asked follow‑up questions about time‑to‑fill, application volumes per bargaining unit and planning for retirements; Walker said the AB 2561 report covers 2024 only and staff can provide multi‑year comparisons and deeper breakdowns on request. Public commenters included Justin Pitcher of Public Employees Union Local 1 (AFSCME), who praised HR’s work and urged other departments to adopt similar practices.
Council received the report; no formal action was required. Staff said they will follow up with the requested additional metrics and that hiring in critical areas will continue under exception requests amid an ongoing hiring freeze for non‑essential positions.
