The number of full-time state employees increased by 108 last fiscal year to slightly more than 57,000 as their ranks grew at the state’s higher education institutions and numbers declined at state agencies, according to Arkansas Bureau of Legislative Research reports.
The 1,674-employee decline in fiscal 2021 was the largest drop over a fiscal year since Act 110 of 1985 started requiring agencies and higher education institutions to report employment. The largest previous decline was 754 employees in fiscal 2018, also under departing Republican Gov. Asa Hutchinson. The ranks of full-time state employees have declined in four of the past five fiscal years.
The total salaries reported increased to $3.505 billion in fiscal 2022 from $3.248 billion in fiscal year 2021, and total benefit costs increased to $1.048 billion in fiscal 2022 from $974 million in fiscal year 2021, based on finance department reports.
Total salary and benefits costs at the state’s higher education institutions increased to $2.522 billion in fiscal 2022 from $2.283 billion in fiscal year 2021, while total salary and benefits costs increased to $2.032 billion in fiscal 2022 from $1.938 billion in fiscal year 2021.
HIGHER EDUCATION
The number of full-time employees at the state’s higher education institutions increased to 28,311 in fiscal 2022 from 27,997 in fiscal year 2021, according to the bureau’s reports.
The governor appoints the members of the boards of trustees that oversee the state’s colleges and universities.
The number of full-time employees at the state’s four-year institutions increased to 24,568 in fiscal 2022 from 24,309 in fiscal year 2021, while their ranks increased at the two-year colleges to 2,911 in fiscal 2022 from 2,857 in fiscal year 2021, and at four technical colleges to 831 in fiscal 2022 from 830 in fiscal year 2021, according to the bureau’s reports.
The number of full-time employees at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences increased slightly to 11,098 in fiscal 2022 — up from 11,076 in fiscal year 2021 — and their ranks slipped slightly at University of Arkansas, Fayetteville to 4,158 in fiscal 2022 from 4,209 in fiscal year 2021, the bureau’s reports show.
STATE AGENCIES
The number of full-time employees at state agencies dropped to 28,775 in fiscal 2022 from 28,981 in fiscal year 2021, according to the bureau’s reports.
This includes 21,882 full-time employees in executive branch agencies and cabinet departments in the last quarter of fiscal 2022 compared to 22,011 in the last quarter of fiscal 2021 — a reduction of 129 employees based on the bureau’s reports.
Read the full article from Arkansas Democrat Gazette here.
