State and local government employs approximately 178,494 people in the 7-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul region, about 10% of the region’s total employment. An estimated 53,882 people will need to be trained by 2020 to fill expected job openings in state and local government. Healthcare and Education account for the greatest training need due to retirements, job changes, and growth (analyzed in a separate report). Government Operations, Public Safety, and Transportation also experience increasing difficulty finding talent with is only expected to grow. Short-term pathways focus on Certificate and AA-level occupations.

City, county, state, and federal government employs approximately 203,472 people in the 7-county Minneapolis-Saint Paul region, about 11% of the region’s total employment. The areas in which each level of government will feel shortages varies, but all will experience a shortage of administrative and management talent over the next three years due to large numbers of workers leaving the labor force. Though we do not know the exact talent supply gap, an estimated 57,214 people will need to be trained by 2020 to fill expected job openings in government agencies, with city and county governments facing the greatest need.