Students head back to schools with dearth of teachers and staff

Local governments are experiencing an employment shortage as students head back to class this fall, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The shortage is most acute among teachers and other school staff, putting pressure on districts to find contingency plans for being unable to provide certain services.

Local government employment dropped significantly in 2020, going from about 14.7 million to under 13.5 million in just two months. While the number has climbed steadily in the past three years, employment has stagnated at under 14.5 million as of August.

Teacher and other school staff shortages in particular have put pressure on districts since the coronavirus pandemic, but data from Kansas State University professor Tuan Nguyen show that the teacher vacancy issue may be worsening, suggesting the pandemic is not necessarily to blame.

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