Changes in the State Governmental Public Health Workforce: Demographics and Perceptions, 2014-2017

Abstract

Workforce is a critical cog in the governmental public health enterprise in the United States. Until 2014, workforce research was largely conducted at the organizational level. However, the fieldings of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey allow for nationally representative comparisons with individual respondents. Using data from agencies that participated in 2014 and 2017, we conducted multi–cross-sectional comparisons of the Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey data. The Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey participants at the State Health Agency Central Offices were surveyed using a Web-based platform. Balanced repeated replication weights were used to account for differential designs between 2014 and 2017. Thirty-three state health agency central offices that participated in both 2014 and 2017. Permanently employed governmental public health staff. We examined changes in perceptions of the workplace environment, job and pay satisfaction, intent to leave, awareness of emerging concepts in public health, and demographic/worker characteristics. Pearson and Rao-Scott–adjusted χ2 analyses were used to compare changes between 2014 and 2017. The percentage of staff who are people of color increased from 29% (95% confidence interval, 28%-30%) to 37% (95% confidence interval, 36%-38%) from 2014 to 2017 across 33 states. Approximately 26% of staff were younger than 40 years in 2014 compared with 29% in 2017 (P < .001). Job satisfaction increased in 17 states overall (P < .05, n = 5) and decreased in 16 states (P < .05, n = 5) but did not change in aggregate. Overall, the percentage of staff considering leaving the organization in the next year or retiring within 5 years is up from 44% to 48% (P < .001). Global measures of satisfaction are relatively high and consistent between 2014 and 2017. Demographics are shifting toward a marginally younger workforce as many retire, and a significant portion of staff indicates that they are considering leaving their organization or planning to retire.