Analysis of Payroll Data Reveals Trends in State Employee Workforce

The Connecticut Data Collaborative (CTData) has published an analysis of Connecticut state employee workforce trends from 2016 to 2023. The payroll data story by CTData includes analysis of workforce trends such as agency size and length of service, compensation and benefits such as salary, overtime, and fringe, and how the “retirement tsunami” in recent years has impacted Connecticut’s state workforce.

CTData works to advance equity in Connecticut by democratizing access to public data and building data literacy skills, assisting state residents, nonprofits, policymakers, and funders in using data to drive policy, program, and service improvements. The organization strives to promote and engage data users in implementing equitable data practices across the state.

The data utilized in the analysis is compiled by the Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller, which publishes payroll information for state employees, including weekly pay rates, annual salary rates, overtime, fringe, and other forms of pay. The site is updated bi-weekly to reflect the typical state employee pay cycle and provide the most current payroll data available.

The analysis by CTData includes data visualizations that provide a look at change over time, with calculations comparing the average of values from 2016-2019 and the average of values from 2020-2023. Among the findings:

The overall state employee count declined by less than 1%, dropping from an average of 105,851 in the 2016-2019 period to 104,928 in 2020-2023. Agencies across various sizes showed no significant change in their total workforce numbers; however, substantial changes were observed within certain agencies.

Restructuring of numerous state agencies, particularly in higher education, impacted the growth comparison between the 2016 and 2023 periods, but among those that did not have major jurisdictional changes, the agencies experiencing the largest growth in staffing levels were the Office of Policy and Management, which is the state’s budget agency, 66% increase; the Office of Chief Medical Examiner, 38%; the Department of Consumer Protection, 30%; the Commission on Human Rights and Opportunities, 24%, and the Department of Economic and Community Development, 21%.

The Department of Correction spent the most in overtime payments every year from 2016 to 2023, surpassing $100 million in 2022 and 2023, followed by the Department of Mental Health & Addiction Services at $63 million; Department of Emergency Services & Public Protection at $56 million; Department of Developmental Services at $40.7 million and Department of Children and Families at $23.9 million in 2023.

Comparing the periods 2016-2019 and 2020-2023, several agencies experienced significant increases in overtime spending, from $1k to $197k at the Department of Housing and $107k to $15m at the Department of Labor.

While the typical length of service for a state worker is 8 years, according to the data, numerous agencies report significantly higher average tenures. When looking at agencies with an employee count of 100 or more, the Attorney General’s Office, Department of Banking, and Department of Children and Families all have an average tenure of 14 years. In fact, 1 in 3 state workers have a service length of 10 or more years.

The highest average salaries were paid by CT Innovations ($172K), Capital Region Development Authority ($133K), and Connecticut Green Bank ($132K). The highest average fringe payment for employees was paid by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection ($138K).

In 2022, it was widely reported that Connecticut's state government anticipated a “retirement tsunami” with thousands of employees from the executive branch expected to retire as a result of specific changes in pension benefits that had been negotiated between the state and state employee unions.

A 2017 concessions package agreed upon by the state and its employee unions included modifications to pension benefits, making retirement more appealing before these changes took effect. This presented a significant challenge in maintaining essential public services, but also offered an opportunity to enhance workforce diversity. Efforts were made to address disparities in gender, race, ethnicity, and pay equity, aiming to recruit a workforce that reflects the state's diverse population, according to state officials.

The count of retirees rose from an average of 341 between 2016 and 2019 to 903 from 2020 to 2023. With the retirement “deadline” set for 2022, there was a significant surge to 1,431 retirees in that year alone.

Also of note, and possibly related, the number of Connecticut Career Trainees has increased since 2021, possibly as a result of the “retirement tsunami.”

From 2021 to 2023, the total number of Connecticut Career Trainees (CCT) steadily rose from 4,127 to 5,465, eventually reaching 6,160. The University of Connecticut experienced the most significant growth in its CCT numbers, climbing from 3,091 to 4,586 during this period. During 2023, the Department of Social Services, with 380; and the Department of Children and Families, with 245; had the largest number.

“This data analysis provides the public with an overview of changes over time in the state employee workforce, and some insight into various trends,” said CTData Executive Director Michelle Riordan-Nold. “It also points to where additional data can be located, inviting further review and analysis, whether from public officials or state residents interested in learning more about state government operations through recent years, as the state begins the new fiscal year.”

To further explore the state payroll data analysis, including charts and visualizations, developed by CT Data Senior Data Analyst Jason Cheung and GIS & Data Analyst Jill Walsh, visit https://www.ctdata.org/payroll-analysis; to view the full range of data utilized, visit the Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller’s OpenPayroll site.

CTData operates the CTData Academy, which offers an array of workshops for state residents to learn more about evaluating data quality, becoming a critical consumer and creator of data, improving data work, creating impactful visualizations using data, and more.

In addition, CTData offers a data “helpline” for assisting data users with obtaining, displaying, interpreting, and using data; and Data Strategic Planning for organizations to improve internal data processes to increase data storytelling, impact measurement, and promote efficiency.

The more than 200 datasets easily accessible on the CTData website are included within the following categories: Business & Economy, Children & Families, Civic Engagement, Criminal Justice, Demographics & Population, Education, Hartford, Health & Healthcare, Housing, Migration and Regional/Town Data.

CTData is a member of the National Neighborhood Indicators Partnership, and recently published Town Profiles of each of Connecticut’s 169 cities and towns in partnership with AdvanceCT. All can be seen on the website www.ctdata.org.