The city of Los Angeles' job-vacancy rate stands at 17.5%, meaning one in six municipal jobs remain unfilled, City Controller Kenneth Mejia announced Wednesday.
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Mejia's office released data regarding the citywide vacancy rate, which increased 0.5% between September and December. The controller's office noted "crucial" functions in finance, general services, transportation, and recreation and parks were running above the city average in unfilled jobs.
"With chronic and rampant vacancies continuing, city services are stalled at their current levels," Mejia said in a statement.
At least 10 city departments or bureaus had vacancy rates at or above 25%, such as the Civil + Human Rights and Equity (34%); Youth Development (32%); disability (28%); Street Lighting (28%); and Neighborhood Empowerment, Cultural Affairs, Street Services, Contract Administration, City Tourism and Economic & Workforce Development were at 25% or 26% vacancy rates.
The controller's office continued to recommend the city update its civil service system and amend the City Charter; convene a short-term task force of city leaders and unions to find additional ways to work within existing constraints; and build on the city's Targeted Local Hire and Bridge to Jobs programs, to employ L.A. residents and retain them in public service careers.
Additionally, he urged the city to invest in the Personnel Department's staffing, training and technology to fill jobs, attract and retain workers; streamline city bureaucracy and partner with community, civic institutions, the private sector and nonprofits on approaches to problem- solving while the city rebuilds its workforce.
Mejia also recommends the city pursue long-term strategic budget and capital planning, instead of a year-to-year budget cycle.
As the city faces a budget deficit, and officials enacted a hiring strategy to put a "chokehold" on non-critical vacant positions, the controller warned it could harm city services.
More than 4,000 of the vacant, non-critical positions cannot be filled unless approved, and council members may adopt a plan to eliminate at least 2,000 of the vacant positions in efforts to balance the budget.
Some of those vacant positions have been sitting empty for multiple years, and it's been noted that public safety and public health positions such as police officers, firefighters, refuse collection truck operators and sanitation workers will not be impacted.
City officials also noted that since December 2022, 9,289 positions have been filled, of which 3,532 were filled with new employees as a result of citywide career fairs, as well as the Targeted Local Hire and Bridge to Jobs programs.
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