Multiple state agencies are reporting troubles with the hiring process as labor shortages continue across Mississippi. Many of these positions have remained vacant for long periods of time, or low wages have contributed to high turnover rates. And while all state-employment payscales were adjusted last year, agency heads say they need more funding to fill those roles. Bob Anderson is Executive Director of the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
“We have 506 vacancies right now. Our eligibility staff, some of them have been working for three decades for less than $25,000 a year,” says Anderson. “We’ll raise their salaries ultimately to a starting salary of about $31,000, which is a significant increase for them. But we need it. We have a 20-25% turnover rate.”
Within recent years, Mississippi has eliminated more than 3,000 unfilled jobs within state government, and Joint Legislative Budget Reccomendations have outlined another 2,000 jobs that could be eliminated this legislative session.
Among the agencies asking for additional funding is the Mississippi Department of Child Protective Services. Commissioner Andrea Sanders says they need qualified case workers in all parts of the state to adequately protect children.
Sanders says “We can’t do this job without having people where our children are. We have to respond when reports come in that a child may be abused or neglected. That is a first responder job, so we’re running a 24/7 first responder agency on what really is an 8-5 regular old agency state model.”
Agency heads say the job market and inflation are making it increasingly difficult to match the salaries offered by fast food chains and other jobs that don’t require additional training.
