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    Public Plans Database: data from 126 state & local defined benefit plans & state defined contribution plans.

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    Do benefits close the wage gap between public and private sector workers?

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    Profiles in Public Service

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    New Survey: State and Local Government Workforce: 2012 Trends

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Latest Research

Retirement

The Funding of State and Local Pensions: 2011-2015

This brief looks at the effects of the 2008-2009 stock market decline on state and local pensions and what may improve their funded status in the future. (5/12)

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Health Care

Understanding Finances and Changes in Retiree Health Care

This article from Center vice president for research Joshua Franzel and Center researcher Alex Brown advises governments to understand what has been done thus far to address OPEB liabilities so they can assess their own efforts and determine if their retiree health care programs are sustainable. (February 2012)

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Workforce

State and Local Government Workforce: 2012 Trends

More than half of state and local governments still have a pay freeze and are adjusting retirement and health care benefits. At the same time, the pace of layoffs has slowed with 28 percent reporting layoffs this year compared with 40 percent last year. (4/12)

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Compensation

Comparing Compensation: State-Local Versus Private Sector Workers

An examination of whether benefits close the wage gap between public and private sector workers. The analysis found that the compensation of state-local and private sector workers is similar. (9/15/11)

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News

  • A Mixed Bag: New Issue Brief on Public Plan Funding

    What’s wrong with this picture? The stock market is up; state and local government revenues are on the rise; and governmental pension plans have made record numbers of changes, raising employee contributions for all workers and/or reducing benefits for new workers. However, the funded status of public pension plans has once again slipped. (5/7/12)

  • More Local Governments Cuts Accelerate in Jobs Report

    A new survey shows state and local governments have sought to stave off job cuts by pushing down payroll expenses in other ways. The survey by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence reported 51 percent of governments implemented pay freezes, while 42 percent suspended hiring. (5/4/12)

  • Survey: Layoffs ease in local governments, but big challenges remain

    American City and County magazine covers the Center’s newest workforce survey. (5/3/12)

  • Are Local Government Cuts Nearing An End?

    Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells Governing magazine that local governments may begin hiring again very gradually in the next year or two. (3/9/12)

  • W.Va. reins in public retiree health benefit costs

    The Associated Press cites Center research as it looks at how West Virginia is controlling health costs. (2/27/12)

  • The Perils of Payroll Tax and Pension Holidays

    As the federal government debates the continuation of the payroll tax cut and postpones the critical debate over the long term financing of Social Security, what might it learn from state and local government pension management? Center for State and Local Government Excellence President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar writes about the consequences of pension holidays and why some pension plans are better funded than others. (2/8/12)

  • PERS reform needed to sustain pensions

    Center researcher Alex Brown reviews the impact of reforms made by the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System in the Statesman Journal. (1/14/12)

  • Many Workers in Public Sector Retiring Sooner

    The New York Times cites Center research as it finds that as governments cut back, their employees have fewer reasons to stay on the job. (12/5/11)

  • San Francisco Accepts Workforce Award in National Competition

    The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (Center) recognized San Francisco’s comprehensive approach to its workforce challenges at the National League of Cities (NLC) Congress of Cities in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 11. (11/11/11)

  • Center Recognizes Local Governments for Workforce Excellence

    The City and County of San Francisco has been selected for the inaugural Local Government Workforce Excellence Award, the Center for State and Local Government Excellence announced today. Two other local governments will receive honorable mention awards: Coconino County, Arizona, and the local governments of San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, California. (11/8/11)

Public Plans Database

Latest data on more than 120 public pension plans

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