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We conducted a literature review, analyzed data from a large-scale data set of job postings for public health nurses and registered nurses, and conducted a statistical analysis of responses to the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses (NSSRN) and Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS).

This study engaged state and local health agency employees involved in the hiring process to examine the impact of hiring laws and civil service requirements on recruitment processes. Additionally, we identified innovative approaches to improve recruitment.

Public health departments are facing big challenges in hiring and keeping staff, with nearly half the workforce planning to leave in the next few years. This resource highlights practical solutions: faster hiring, mentorship, and career pipelines to help strengthen and sustain the public health workforce.

A new tool, the Public Health Workforce Calculator (“Workforce Calculator”), was developed near the onset of the COVID pandemic to help agencies estimate the staffing they would need to fully implement the Foundational Public Health Services (FPHS). The data underlying the Workforce Calculator algorithm was from pre-pandemic time periods.

The nation's public health system is chronically under-resourced and ill-equipped to respond, resulting in a strained workforce that must remain nimble. Maintaining responsiveness to community needs requires a sustainable system with adequate worker supports.

Our goal was to utilize data from job postings to determine if there were significant differences in salary, education, or experience requirements when comparing jobs in local or state government health departments with the same types of jobs posted in other sectors.

Career Services offices (CSOs) serve an essential role in higher education institutions, helping graduates to identify their career interests and goals, choose a career pathway, explore career options, and execute a successful job search.

To determine whether job postings from employers seeking master of public health (MPH) graduates require skills aligning with Council on Education in Public Health (CEPH) competencies.

Workforce estimates show that while state and local public health staffing rebounded to around 239,000 employees in 2022, this growth hasn't kept pace with population increases, and many hires were temporary. Regional disparities, underrepresentation of public health nurses, and looming workforce departures highlight the urgent need for sustained investment, strategic planning, and stronger data collection across all levels of government, including Tribal and territorial agencies.

A 2023–2024 enumeration found 239,000 staff employed in state and local health departments, revealing a 2% increase since 2012 but significant workforce losses in several states, especially in the Southeast. The findings highlight chronic underinvestment in public health and call for stronger, sustained federal funding and improved enumeration methods across all government levels.

Enumerating the US governmental public health workforce is crucial for strengthening infrastructure, guiding workforce planning, and addressing staffing needs at federal, state, and local levels. Enumeration 2024 builds on this effort by using a multi-pronged approach to assess the size, key occupations, and changes in the public health workforce since 2012.

The Standard Occupational Classification (SOC) system is the federal standard for categorizing occupation data, used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) to collect and analyze workforce information. However, the current SOC and North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) codes lack the granularity needed to accurately enumerate the governmental public health workforce in state, local, Tribal, and territorial health departments.