Authored by Bob Lavigna, Senior Fellow – Public Sector, UKG
May 4-10 is Public Service Recognition Week. Since 1985, the first full week in May is the annual celebration of the contributions of public servants in federal, state, local and tribal government. Across the nation, more than 23 million dedicated public servants, including in public schools and universities, deliver every day for the American public.
Now more than ever, public service and public servants are under the microscope, and not just in the federal government. The work of government at all levels is being intensely scrutinized, too often unfavorably and unfairly. It’s no wonder that trust in all levels of government has declined, and government is struggling to attract and retain talent.
What can get lost in the often overheated rhetoric about government is that public servants perform vitally important work that affects us all every day in critical ways.
This was vividly brought home to me when, like the rest of the nation, I watched in horror the devastation wrought by the Los Angeles area wild fires. While the damage was heart-breaking, the response by public servants was inspirational. Thousands of firefighters, pilots, law enforcement and emergency personnel, among others, worked tirelessly to save lives and property. On the ground and in the air, these heroes risked their lives to aid the people they serve. Many worked 24-hour shift after 24-hour shift.
As a Cal Fire Battalion Chief said about firefighters, “Everyone is tired.” And we can only speculate on the long-term effects of working in this high-risk environment will be on these dedicated people. There were others, behind the scenes, who supported and coordinated the dangerous and brutally hard work of their front-line colleagues.
These heroic public servants responded from federal, state and local government; multiple states; and even Canada and Mexico.
During the wildfires, I reached out to Lisa Garrett, the LA County Personnel Director, to express my concern and ask her if she was safe. Her response?
“The devastation of communities is real! There is no greater work than supporting the public, especially in times of need. This is our calling.”
I was moved by her response, which reflects what public service is about — people risking their lives to help others. This is indeed the call of public service.
The Challenge of Attracting and Retaining Government Talent
Public servants like Lisa and others across the nation continue to serve the American public even as government struggles to attract and retain talent. In the past, the best and brightest aspired to make a difference through government service — in Washington, DC; their state capitals; and their local communities.
Now, however, critical jobs go unfilled in law enforcement, 911 call centers, public health, public transit, public finance and other occupations. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 485,000 vacancies in state and local government but only 153,000 hires in February, the most recent month that BLS has published workforce data. The ratio of vacancies to hires in state and local government (3.2) is more than twice the private sector ratio.
Moreover, 89% (PDF) of state and local governments had to reopen recruitments in 2024 because they didn’t attract enough qualified candidates, and 63% (PDF) reported that a retirement wave is occurring now or will occur in the next few years.
It’s a vicious cycle. Vacancies create excessive workloads that cause stress that leads to turnover — and then the resulting vacancies are hard to fill.
As one local government official put it, “We’re all feeling the pain.”
Government Continues to Confront Critical Issues
Despite the workforce crisis in government, public servants persevere to meet our nation’s toughest challenges. We expect government to protect our nation and our communities, maintain a strong economy, preserve our quality of life, reduce poverty and homelessness, provide affordable housing, deliver efficient public transportation, respond to disasters, safeguard the environment, educate our children, ensure affordable healthcare and so much more.
Unfortunately, many people don’t understand the many ways that government contributes to their lives. As I quoted one person in my book Engaging Government Employees, “Keep government out of my life but don’t mess with my Social Security.”
As I emphasize when I speak about the value of public service, the people I have known in my 50 years working in and with (mostly in) government at all levels don’t want awards, big salaries, hefty bonuses or public recognition.
They just want to make a difference.
And they do, every day. They also hope that those they serve understand and appreciate the contributions public servants make to our nation, our states, and our communities.
Because, as Lisa told me, “This is our calling.” Her comment echoes the words of President George H. W. Bush, who described public service as a “noble calling.”
While we should celebrate the contributions of public servants year-round, it is fitting we do so during Public Service Recognition Week.
Especially this year.
Visit the NLC Strategic Partnerships page to learn more about the organizations like UKG dedicated to making NLC the premier resource for local governments.
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