In the October 2020 issue of HR News, columnists Katherine Barrett and Richard Greene cited SLGE workforce survey data and comments from President and CEO Joshua Franzel, PhD, in a discussion on key public sector benefits issues, ranging from retirement and health to financial wellness.  

SLGE President and CEO Joshua Franzel, PhD, was cited in the World Pensions Council article G7 Pensions: ESG, SDGs, Green Growth and the Road to Camp David, discussing the increasing prevalence of environmental, social or governance considerations among pension investments as reflected in the Public Plans Database.

New Hampshire Public Radio and ICMA have cited SLGE data on the difficulty of filling police vacancies, which were reported as ‘hard to fill’ by 27 percent of state and local government employers — higher than any other position.

U.S. News and World Report published an article based on SLGE’s state and local government workforce projections through 2026.

Catch the SLGE workforce survey data discussion online as part of The Weekly Pulse.  Discussion on the findings of the 2018 state and local workforce survey, including gig economy hiring, starts at 35 minutes, 10 seconds.

Governing features SLGE’s research on state and local governments’ participation in the gig economy.

American City & County discusses SLGE’s workforce research with a focus on the ongoing wave of public sector retirements.

New SLGE research finds that state and local governments continue to face steep challenges filling a wide array of positions. View the recent webinar which discussed many key workforce issues.

Hard to hire positions may lead agencies to fill needs via the gig economy.

Martinez News-Gazette cites SLGE workforce survey in context of police salary discussions.

PlanSponsor covers SLGE issue brief on governments hampered in recruitment efforts by pension cuts.

SLGE’s state and local government workforce survey highlighted by AARP and the National Retired Teachers Association.

SLGE has recently updated our privacy policy.

SLGE research cited in Washington Post article about pay for first responders.

Plan Sponsor covers recent SLGE research on automatic enrollment, etc.

SLGE releases its list of top issues facing state and local government in the year ahead.

Research on innovative pension reporting and communications to be presented at the upcoming 2018 World Pensions & Investments Forum.

Senior Fellow Elizabeth Kellar provides insights for the Association for Talent Development.

SLGE’s Elizabeth Kellar speaks to Governing about public sector staffing challenges.

GovLoop highlights SLGE’s annual “Workforce Trends” survey in its story on public safety workforce challenges.

In November’s Public Management Magazine, Gerald Young and Joshua Franzel look at key local government findings from SLGE’s 2017 survey.

Route Fifty highlights key takeaways from SLGE’s Retirement (In)Security Summit.

The Wall Street Journal cites SLGE in its story on states’ retiree health liabilities.

In her Governing Smart Management Column, SLGE Senior Fellow explores fears of weakening revenues, shifting demographics, and impacts of tax reform.

Plan Sponsor highlights SLGE’s recent report which revealed most pension plans have diverse communication programs.

A new report from NACo cites data from SLGE’s annual workforce trends survey.

The Atlanta Journal Constitution highlights SLGE’s annual pension funding update.

Pensions and Investments features SLGE’s annual report on the funded status of public pension plans.

Governing Magazine highlights SLGE survey data on telecommuting.

HRO highlights SLGE research in its examination of the looming government personnel crisis. 

American City & COunty highlights findings from SLGE’s annual report on the state and local workforce

Colorado PERA’s “On the Issues” newsletter highlights SLGE’s research on pension reporting standards.

SLGE’s research cited in The Daily Progress’ story on a Virginia county experiencing an increase in baby boomer retirements.

PublicWorks cites SLGE’s recent report on state and local OPEB benefits.

ASPPA highlights SLGE’s new report on how major pension systems communicate financial, benefit and governance information to stakeholders.

The new guide discusses the important role policy makers play in making sure their state and local pension plans are well designed and adequately funded.

SLGE’s Senior Fellow Elizabeth Kellar speaks to the Seattle Times about the recession’s impact on Washington’s state workforce.

Segal Consulting cites Retirement Confidence Survey of the State and Local Government Workforce.

SLGE’s Joshua Franzel will be offering a presentation about US state and local government pension plan funding and reforms at the upcoming World Pensions Investment Forum.

Smart Business highlights SLGE’s annual workforce survey findings on increasing retirements in state and local government.

IPMA-HR Executive Director Neil Reichenberg cites SLGE’s annual workforce survey in his Government Finance Review article on the challenge of recruiting and retaining talented staff.

The Wall Street Journal highlights Public Plans Data in its story on the woes facing Dallas’ Police and Fire Pension System.

The Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE) Board of Directors has appointed Joshua Franzel, Ph.D., to serve as the organization’s next President/CEO, effective January 1, 2017.

PlanSponsor highlights SLGE’s new study on state and local pension plan reforms following the financial crisis.

AFSCME’s Information Highway features SLGE and the TIAA Institute’s public sector retirement confidence survey.

eCivis highlights SLGE’s annual workforce survey in its story on how local governments will handle impending retirements.

The Los Angeles Times cites SLGE’s annual pension funding report.

President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar speaks to the Wall Street Journal about local government recruiting challenges.

American Enterprise Institute cites SLGE’s research on retiree health care.

SLGE’s VP of Research provides insight to Benefits Canada

Governing story highlights SLGE’s 2016 State and Local Government Workforce Trends survey

Bloomberg BNA highlights SLGE’s annual report on the status of public pension funding.

Pensions and Investments published SLGE President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar’s letter to the editor (August 22, 2016) explaining that free, accurate pension data is already available

GCN highlights SLGE’s annual workforce trends survey in its article on workforce automation in government agencies.

SLGE’s President/CEO writes in Governing about the challenges of recruiting and retaining the qualified workers governments urgently need.

SLGE’s President/CEO Kellar participated in a panel during GFOA’s annual conference.

SLGE President/CEO Kellar joins Wisconsin Public Radio’s Joy Cardin Show

Atlanta Journal Constitution highlights SLGE’s annual workforce trends survey.

Pew’s Stateline features SLGE’s research on state and local government workforce trends.

BenefitsPro examines the findings of SLGE’s new report on the private sector retirement savings gap.

PlanSponsor highlights SLGE’s new report on state efforts to address private sector retirement savings gap.

VP of Research Joshua Franzel joined Route Fifty for a discussion of current management challenges in state and local government.

Is your organization prepared for the increased competition and demands of attracting and retaining the future workforce?

The Governmental Accounting Standards Board proposed new guidance for governments that participate in certain multiple-employer pension plans.

WSJ features data from Public Plans Data in its story on Kentucky’s pension woes.

SLGE’s Elizabeth Kellar explains to American City & County that, rather than as a tsunami, public sector retirements are coming wave after wave.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette cites SLGE’s 2015 “Success Strategies for Well-Funded Pension Plans”

Analysis features SLGE research on pension obligation bonds.

For the second year in a row, state and local governments increased hiring from the previous year, according to a newly released survey of public-sector HR professionals by SLGE.

SLGE’s new survey finds that nearly three-quarters of states and localities reported making new hires in the past year.

The challenges of the past decade have required the state and local sector to make many significant adjustments to its workforce.

SLGE’s Joshua Franzel talks to PIMCO about changes in state and local government retirement programs in the United States.

Most public pension plans improved their funded status in 2014 and are likely to be more than 80% funded by 2018, according to a report by SLGE.

Reductions in pension funds’ cost-of-living allowances have affected new and existing employees about the same, but retirees have been hit hardest by this policy.

New rules mean that local governments will have to record the cost of health insurance and other benefits on their financial statements.

In some localities badly hurting for revenue, public employment may never return to pre-recession levels.

After years of wage stagnation, state and local governments are finally seeing room in their budgets for slight wage increases and bonuses.

Massachusetts has committed to paying more than $15 billion over the next 30 years for health insurance for its retirees. But the state has set aside almost none of the money needed to pay for it.

SLGE’s VP of Research Joshua Franzel speaks to Wall Street Journal re: New Jersey Governor Chris Christie’s pension study committee proposal to move state’s public employee retirement system toward “cash balance” plans as a way to control costs and control liabilities. http://on.wsj.com/1EQlaDE

How widespread are municipal bankruptcies?  Are municipal defaults increasing?  What about state and local pension funding? State and local government revenues have been slowly improving, making it possible for many officials to take steps to address their fiscal challenges.  ICMA and the national organizations representing the nation’s governors, state legislatures, and state and local officials […]

Center President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar writes in Governing Magazine about the need for government leaders and the public to have honest and open communication.  

Center Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel recently talked with US Bank’s newsletter about public sector Baby Boomers and retirement. (10/27/14)

Center President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells Pensions&Investments that even good GASB numbers should not take attention away from the need for elected officials to focus on funding plans and decisions about setting annual contribution rates. (9/15/14)

Plansponsor.com reports that as more state and local governments reform pensions following the recession, public sector employees have more concerns about retirement. (8/20/14)

Governing covers the joint Center/TIAA-CREF Institute survey of public sector employees’ retirement confidence. (8/20/14)

BenefitsPro.com reports on the Center’s new issue brief on pension obligation bonds. (7/7/14)

PlanSponsor on the Center’s new report on the use of automatic enrollment by retirement plans offered by local governments. (7/1/14)

Center Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel tells Stateline that people who postponed retirement because of the recession are now starting to leave the workforce. (6/20/14)

Governing highlights Center research in an article on state governments adopting automatic enrollment and escalation in the defined contribution plans they offer employees. (6/19/14)

BenefitsPro reports on the Center’s 2014 update on state and local government pension funding. (6/6/14)

Azcentral.com uses the Center’s new workforce report as the basis for an overall look at government employment numbers in Arizona and nationwide. (5/27/14)

The Wall Street Journal reports on the Center’s annual workforce survey. (5/20/14)

Reuters covers the joint Center/NASRA study on the effects of changes in state pension plans on retirees’ income. (5/20/14)

PlanSponsor features the Center’s new report on how changes in state pension plans affected retirees’ income. (4/29/14)

Reuters cites the Center’s public sector research in its coverage of EBRI’s 2014 Retirement Confidence Survey. (3/18/14)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells American City & County magazine that state and local governments face significant challenges in containing the costs of pensions and employee benefits within budgets that are stretched thin. (2/25/14)

Moody’s cites the Center’s annual workforce surveys in a report on how municipal governments can use Medicare to lower their OPEB costs (see page 5). (3/6/14)

Chris Dorobek of the DorobekINSIDER program talks with Center President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar and Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel about their PM magazine cover story on how post-recession benefit changes are affecting the retirement strategies of new hires. (2/3/14)

Center President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar and Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel look at how post-recession benefit changes affect the retirement strategies of new hires and what government employers can do to help them in this PM magazine cover story. (Jan/Feb. 2014)

Center V.P. Joshua Franzel and NASRA Research Manager Alex Brown talk pension funding status with NARFE. Posted with permission of NARFE magazine, the monthly publication of the National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association, www.narfe.org (1/17/14)

Governing features a new paper by Center President/CEO Elizabeth Kellar and Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel on how post-recession benefit changes affect the retirement strategies of new hires and what government employers can do to help them. (1/13/14)

The Vancouver Columbian features Center research in a look at how the city’s pension costs compare with other cities. (12/21/13)

Governing writes that the environment for state and local government employees began to improve in 2013, as evidenced by Center research. (12/11/13)

Reuters MuniLand calls the Center’s brief “Gauging the Burden of Public Pensions on Cities” a new standard in how local pension burdens should be reported in financial documents like CAFRs. (10/28/13)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells benefitpro.com that the glass is more than half full when it comes to pension funding. While a few cities have serious challenges, most are in reasonably good shape, making the status of public pensions much more nuanced than is usually portrayed. (10/25/13)

Asset International’s Chief Investment Officer covers a new paper co-authored by Center Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel, “Public Pension Plans and Inflation: Assumptions Used at the State and Local Level in the United States and Other Jurisdictions.” (10/4/13)

Center Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel tells Governing that while pensions are a fairly static benefit, retiree health benefits are dependent on a number of variables and, thus, more susceptible to outside forces. (10/3/13)

Join ICMA-RC and the Center on Thursday, Oct. 17, at 3:00 ET for a special webinar to kick off National Save for Retirement Week. (10/3/13)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells National Public Radio it’s not surprising that Milwaukee has a well-funded pension plan, since the city consistently pays the annual required contribution. (10/3/13)

Are growing pension liabilities the reason Detroit, Stockton, and San Bernardino had to declare bankruptcy? Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar took part in a webinar, “Getting a Grip on GASB and Pension Funding,” that tried to answer that and other questions. (9/5/13)

An Iowa Gazette editorial uses Center research to make the case for why the state should prepare for its baby boomer employees retiring in larger numbers. (8/27/13)

Governing cites Center research in its report on Irvine’s plan to pay off 30 years worth of pension liabilities in 10 years time. (7/31/13)

Governing covers the Center’s 2013 workforce trends report. (6/20/13)

The Sacramento Bee’s State Worker blog covers the Center’s new workforce survey. (5/16/13)

Forty-four percent of state and local governments made pension plan changes over a 12-month period, up from 37% in the previous 12 months, according to an annual survey released Wednesday by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence. (5/15/13)

From the Bankrate.com Retirement Blog: The fiscal stability of state and local government pensions has been the source of much retirement planning consternation, but the recent Future of Retirement summit, sponsored by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence, was upbeat about the issue. (4/29/13)

Center Vice President of Research Joshua Franzel tells Governing that because it’s easier for governments to change or eliminate retiree health care benefits, governments are shifting more costs to retirees. (4/22/13)

MarketWatch covers the Center’s Future of Retirement Summit. (4/19/13)

Nationally recognized experts and practitioners gathered in Washington, DC, at the Future of Retirement Summit to examine how demographic, workforce, legal, financial, policy, and political challenges are changing local and state government retirement strategies. (4/24/13)

Governing covers the Center’s Future of Retirement Summit (4/19/13)

A new guide from the Center, the “Big 7″ state and local government associations, and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) provides key facts about public pension plans and a brief overview of the issues that state and local officials should address.

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells American City & County that some states are making reforms that will support their pension plans’ sustainability.

Registration is now open for the Center’s Future of Retirement Summit. The April 16 event will address the workforce, legal, financial, policy, and political challenges facing local and state governments as they retool their retirement benefits.

Pensions&Investments featured the Center’s newly reissued and updated primer, State & Local Pensions: An Overview of Funding Issues and Challenges (login may be required). (1/18/13)

Governing cites Center research in a look at how prepared governments are for the Baby Boomers’ delayed but imminent retirement. (12/2012)

This webcast will discuss the results of a research paper published last fall by the Center, National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA), and ANC Foundation.

Marketwatch cites Center research with partners ICMA-RC, the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, and NAGDCA/ANC as it looks at how state and local pension plans are making changes to meet their funding obligations. (11/13/12)

This report reviews the current and future role of defined contribution plans for state and local government employees and the governments that provide the retirement benefit. (10/10/12)

According to a brief released by ICMA-RC and the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE), one-third of human resource executives made changes to the retirement plans they offer to employees within the past 12 months. (10/8/12)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells Governing magazine that hiring part-time workers is an attractive option for governments looking to scale back costs. (8/23/12)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar explains why the national associations of state and local governments established a pension funding task force after GASB issued new pension accounting standards. (8/22/12)

A PA Times column on the effects of state and local government workforce cuts and hiring freezes references Center research. (8/10/12)

American City & County covers the Center’s new retirement confidence survey. (8/6/12)

Survey conducted by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence and TIAA-CREF Institute finds health care costs are a major source of concern. (7/26/12)

The Minneapolis StarTribune mentions the Center’s most recent workforce study in a look at how job cuts are affecting public services. (6/30/12)

Webinar PowerPoint presentation now available

The New York Times cites Center research as it looks at how government layoffs have larger effects on the economic recovery. (6/19/12)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar spoke to the Government Finance Officers Association annual conference about proposed new GASB accounting requirements for public pension plans. (6/13/12)

To help decision-makers make long-range decisions, the Center for State and Local Government Excellence convened a task force of public pension employer and administrator groups to develop their own recommended standards and practices for pension funding that can be supported by the actuarial community and lead to consistent reporting (login may be required). (6/5/12)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar talks about the results of the Center’s most recent workforce study. (5/26/12)

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)

An issue brief from the Center for State and Local Government Excellence looks at the effects of the 2008-2009 stock market decline on state and local pensions. (5/7/12)

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)

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

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)

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

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)

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)

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)

Governing columnist Girard Miller on the Center’s newest issue brief. (7/21/11)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar comments on why state and local government employees are speeding their retirements in this NBC Nightly News story. (6/11)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells Bloomberg Business Week that states are facing a demographic brain drain exacerbated by benefit cuts. (4/21/11)

The Wall Street Journal covers a Center issue brief on the role of defined contribution plans in the public sector. (4/21/11)

Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells Time magazine that there’s no magic to creating a stable pension system — it just takes discipline. (3/7/11)

Albert Hunt, Washington executive editor for Bloomberg News, factors Center research into the debate over public sector compensation. (3/6/11)

The New York Times cites Center research as it considers whether state workers are paid more than private sector employees. (2/25/11)

National Public Radio uses Center research as it analyzes how public sector compensation compares with the private sector. (2/23/11)

The New York Times cites Center research as it looks at how states and cities are grappling with the cost of retiree benefits. (2/13/11)

Employee Benefit News features the Center’s interactive map showing a sample of state and local governments that have made major reforms to their pension plans. (2/1/11)

The Honolulu Star Advertiser cites Center research on retiree health care. (11/18/10)

The private sector has a lot to learn from the public sector about keeping employees healthy, Center President & CEO Elizabeth Kellar tells American City and County magazine. (10/1/10)

This Wall Street Journal feature on state and local debt cites Center research on pension obligation bonds. (7/31/10)

Blogging for the Wall Street Journal, Steven Malanga of the Manhattan Institute mentions Center research on pension obligation bonds in this look at the debt crisis facing too many municipal governments. (6/14/10)

CNNMoney.com/Fortune cites Center research in an article on how state and local governments have cut hiring and benefits in the face of reduced tax revenues. (3/10/10)