North Carolina’s agency responsible for protecting the state’s environment is already understaffed, according to new data.
Nearly one in five positions in environmental quality is vacant, putting stress on an already flimsy organization.
With critical missions like testing lakes for dog-killing algae and holding air and drinking water polluters accountable, resource shortages could impact the safety of people in North Carolina. there is.
Patrick McHugh, investigative manager for the North Carolina Center for Budget and Tax, said, “We’re already giving environmental enforcers too much to cover because they haven’t been given the resources they need to protect us and our families. I am asking you to
According to DEQ, recruitment challenges and retention challenges go hand in hand.
A DEQ spokeswoman said in an email, “Vacations and the difficulty of filling them means that existing staff are forced to increase workloads or work longer hours. As a result, some lead time for the permit process and increased staff stress.”
Agencies in other states face similar staffing crises, with job compensation often well below industry standards. The average salary of a DEQ Engineer I is $58,765, while the average North Carolina engineering graduate salary is nearly $15,000 higher.
“If you look at the data, federal jobs are not going down. Personnel department.
According to DEQ, 56% of offers are declined for salary reasons, and more than a third of employees who leave cited salary as the reason.
DEQ positions are funded from a variety of sources, including state budget appropriations, federal funds, and receipts. Most of DEQ’s receipt-funded programs have not seen a rate increase since 2007.
Job security and increased benefits such as pensions could make jobs in the state more attractive during a recession, says North Carolina economist Michael Walden. Now for all unemployed he has two open positions. “The labor market has allowed people looking for work to be picky, but it’s slowing down,” Walden said.
DEQ may become even more dependent on new hires over the next five years, with more than 450 employees expected to retire.
