In Austin and Travis County, staffing vacancies and the municipalities’ approach to hiring was a top political issue in 2022 that will likely remain in focus over the coming year.

City leadership have pointed to elevated vacancy rates stretching back years, in part thanks to the competitive local labor market and a jump in overall budgeted positions, as cities across Texas and the country contend with similar challenges. The city has taken on multiple workforce studies, pay adjustments and other internal initiatives to combat a worker shortage that reached nearly 2,400 employees—almost 16% of Austin’s budgeted positions—by May.

City Manager Spencer Cronk highlighted the city’s staffing shortage as a priority he hoped to address in his city budget for fiscal year 2022-23 with citywide pay increases and one-time stipends for all employees.

The issue rose to the top of City Council’s deliberations over the budget last year as well. Officials eventually voted to increase the city’s minimum wage from $15 to $20 per hour after years of stagnation, upping Cronk’s original proposal to hike the living wage to $18 per hour. Travis County Commissioners Court followed suit, raising the county's minimum wage from $15 to $20 per hour in late August.

Several City Council members also expressed interest in seeing wage increases continue in 2023 and beyond to match the cost of living in Austin, which they said could help limit turnover.

So far, the city and county say the pay increases...

Read Full Story: https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMifWh0dHBzOi8vY29tbXVuaXR5aW1wY...