All Products

Community-oriented workers are essential to the delivery of population-based services across state and local health department systems, as they are often the frontline providers of culturally responsive care, outreach, and health education in underserved communities. This infographic describes the distribution, employment trends, and other data related to these workers in state and local health departments.

Public health nurses (PHNs) are one of the largest public health occupation groups, bringing important expertise to the activities of public health; however, their roles and distribution differ across the country. The objective of this study was to estimate the relative need for, supply of, and priority areas for PHNs at the county level.

Disease intervention specialists (DISs) play a crucial role in the public health workforce by conducting essential tasks such as contact tracing, contact interviews, and providing referrals for services to control disease spread. Despite the importance of DISs, research is lacking on the job tasks that they perform and the role that they serve in public health agencies. The objective of this study was to identify the unique skill sets of DISs relative to other public health occupations.

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.