Government employment has not recovered from pandemic – Fed

“Anaemic wage growth” and early retirements have kept state and local government payrolls in the US below their pre-pandemic trend.

Research from the Federal Reserve Board finds despite “strong budget positions and the waning of social distancing, the level of [state and local] payrolls has not returned to its pre-pandemic peak let alone its pre-Covid trend”.

Researchers estimate 90% of the shortfall in state and local government payrolls can be attributed to excess retirements and low wage