Jobs
States, Cities Brace for Higher Wage Costs After Hiring Binge
- Increased pay, added benefits to pressure municipal budgets
- Total public sector jobs topped pre-pandemic total in December
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State and local governments boosted wages, offered bonuses, advertised hundreds of miles away and sweetened benefits to fill jobs lost to the pandemic. Now analysts say it’s time to tally the bill.
Buoyed by tax revenue and federal stimulus funds, municipalities across the US didn’t hold back when replenishing their workforce. But all the new hiring will come at some cost as wage pressures mount and concerns about the economy linger.