The National Conference of State Legislatures = The Forum For America's Ideas

Recently Released & Recommended:

NCSL The State of Staff Survey

The single most influential nonpartisan organization that serves state legislators and staffers in the constant improvement of the legislative process is the National Conference of State Legislatures based in Denver, CO. No brag, just fact.

NCSL personnel management gurus Karl Kurtz and Brian Weberg have completed a survey indicating trends in the staffing patterns of legislatures in all 50 states. NCSL did its first count of staff in 1979. Now well into the 2000s, it appears that the number of legislative staff has leveled off after considerable growth in the 1970s and 1980s. The NCSL survey counted the number of staff employees serving currently, and then reviewed how that number has changed over the past 30 years.

Among the key findings:

• Women are well-represented among all staff, except in managerial ranks.

• Staff jobs are dominated by whites, with minorities under-represented.

• A large majority of legislative staff view their work as a long-term career.

• Main concern among staff managers is the impending retirement of long-term staffers.

The link above leads to more information well worth reading. Other interesting findings relate to:

• Differences Among States

• The Partisan Percentage

• Staffing as a Career

• Staff Concerns

• Future Uncertainties