Dan O'Donnell

Dan O'Donnell

Common Sense Central is edited by WISN's Dan O'Donnell. Dan provides unique conservative commentary and analysis of stories that the mainstream media...Full Bio

 

Evers Budget Adds 700 State Jobs Even as State has 1,000 Job Vacancies

Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers' 2019-2021 biennial budget authorizes funding for 701 new state government positions over the next two years even though more than 1,000 state positions are currently unfilled.

Evers' budget provides for "71,990.57 FTE [full-time equivalent] state positions from all fund sources by the end of the next biennium (fiscal year 2020-2021). This represents an increase of 701.02 FTE positions from the fiscal year 2018-2019 adjusted base of 71,289.55."

According to a report entitled "Permanent and Project Position Vacancies (Six Months or More), Position Titles, and Hourly Rates by Agency," Wisconsin had 1,475 job openings as of November 6th, 2018. It is unclear how many of those positions remain unfilled.

283 jobs or job announcements are currently listed on the State of Wisconsin Government Jobs website, but that database includes only job openings posted since September.

"Governor Evers is authorizing the creation of new positions for public safety (DAs and corrections officers), as well as for important initiatives related to workforce development, higher education, and public health and wellness," said Evers spokeswoman Melissa Baldauff.

A glut of long-term job vacancies in Wisconsin government is not a new phenomenon. Governor Scott Walker's first biennial budget in 2011 proposed "the elimination of vacant positions [to] reduce state positions by 735 FTE positions. These positions have been vacant for at least 12 months and some as long as 16 years."


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