Pritzker Administration Launches State-Wide Employment and Retention Strategy

Governor Pritzker today announced new measures as part of the ongoing efforts to address staffing shortages in the State of Illinois' agencies that provide essential health and safety services to Illinois' most vulnerable residents. The State is working to fill vacancies and hire thousands of frontline staff in the Departments of Human Services, Corrections, and Veteran's Affairs. Interested individuals may visit work.illinois.gov to apply and search for jobs by agency, title, or county.

"Since COVID-19 upended our State—and world—we have experienced severe labor shortages that disproportionately impact our most vulnerable residents," said Governor JB Pritzker. "That's why we are launching a laser-focused recruitment and retention strategy to attract quality professionals in the social services and healthcare fields. No matter the challenges of today's job market, our administration is mobilizing every available resource to make sure every resident has access to the critical services they need and deserve."

Like many employers across the nation, including other governmental bodies, the State is facing an increasingly challenging job market. In the two years since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government sector in the U.S. has lost over 600,000 workers, which is more than manufacturing, wholesale trade, and construction industries combined. Additionally, the healthcare industry has suffered significant labor shortage issues due to burnout from the pandemic. To address the staffing challenges faced by many of our service agencies, the following immediate actions will be taken:

Today's announcement emphasizes Governor Pritzker's commitment to increasing the State's workforce and ensuring employees have sufficient resources to continue to provide the service that Illinois residents expect. Through these efforts, the State is looking to build and retain its workforce with concentration in the following positions: correctional officers, physicians, nurses, mental health technicians, support service workers, social workers, security therapy aids, security officers, and other critical positions that support the health and safety of the State's residents.

These steps are the latest in a series of initiatives designed to prepare, attract, and retain the necessary talent pool for roles in State government. Continued efforts include:

Since taking office, Governor Pritzker's Administration has worked to implement practices to attract talent to its workforce:

State employees make a difference every day in the lives of their fellow residents. Nowhere is that difference more tangible than in residential facilities, where State employees are entrusted with providing safe, healthy, and thriving environments. The benefits of State employment include more than just the satisfaction of purpose-driven work. In addition to generous healthcare benefits, robust paid time off, including paid parental leave, and pension benefits, the State has continued to implement and enhance employee benefits and retention measures:

Today's announcement is another important step in addressing the historically challenging job market and increasing critical staff to ensure the State's most vulnerable residents are receiving the quality service they deserve.