For the second year in a row, state and local governments increased hiring from the previous year, according to a newly released report by the Center for State and Local Government Excellence (SLGE). The survey was conducted from March 30 to April 20, 2015, among 336 public-sector HR professionals who are members of the International Public Management Association for Human Resources and the National Association of State Personnel Executives.

Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of state and local government HR managers reported hiring full-time employees in 2014, up from 66 percent in 2013, and 54 percent hired more people than they did in 2013. In addition, 72 percent of respondents said job cuts were the same or lower in 2014 compared to 2013.

Public payrolls were hit hard during the 2008-2010 Great Recession, with many state and local governments implementing hiring freezes and layoffs. In SLGE’s 2009 workforce survey, 67 percent of respondents said they had instituted hiring freezes, 41 percent conducted layoffs, and 30 percent started furlough programs. This year, only 11 percent of respondents reported being locked in a hiring freeze, 6 percent conducted layoffs, and 3 percent maintained furloughs.

The picture is not entirely rosy. As a large portion of the workforce becomes eligible for retirement, there is a greater sense of urgency about recruitment, retention, and succession planning. This year's survey showed that the pace of retirements has quickened: 47 percent reported higher levels of retirement in 2014 than 2013, and 13 percent reported employees had accelerated their retirement. As one respondent wrote, "Between now and 2020, we are looking at 40% of the workforce being able to retire."

One way governments are coping with the talent crunch is to hire temporary or contract employees:  47 percent reported doing so in 2014 compared with 33 percent in 2013.

For more on the workforce survey results, download" State and Local Workforce: 2015 Trends."