Opinion A slow-moving crisis is paralyzing states and cities

 

COLUMBIA, S.C. — A little-noticed, slow-moving crisis has been infecting states, counties and towns across the country, leaving governments unable to fulfill their most basic functions.

In Indianapolis, trash isn’t getting picked up. In Jefferson County, Colo., potholes aren’t being patched. In Franklin County, Wis., school bus routes have been canceled. In Florida, prisons are having trouble operating and called in the National Guard for help. In Missouri, Medicaid enrollment forms are waiting months to get processed. And here in Richland County, S.C., a project to connect rural homes to a public sewer system was delayed.

The cause? A nationwide shortage of public workers.

Pandemic-era labor shortages have been well-documented. But the situation for state and local governments is much worse than in the private sector. In fact, the private sector has already recovered the jobs lost early in the pandemic; there are 885,000 more jobs filled in the private industry today than in February 2020.