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An Annual Report on Classified Employee Turnover for Fiscal Year 2012

December 2012

Report Number 13-704

Overall Conclusion

The fiscal year 2012 statewide turnover rate was 17.3 percent for classified regular, full- and part-time employees based on 25,914 separations. These separations include both voluntary and involuntary separations. That was a 0.5 increase from the fiscal year 2011 statewide turnover rate of 16.8 percent. The fiscal year 2012 statewide turnover rate was the highest statewide turnover rate the State has experienced since fiscal year 2008.

Excluding involuntary separations and retirements, the fiscal year 2012 statewide turnover rate was 10.0 percent. That rate, which is often considered more of a true turnover rate because it reflects preventable turnover, increased since fiscal year 2011, when it was 9.0 percent.

Voluntary separations, including retirements, accounted for the majority (74.8 percent) of the State's total separations in fiscal year 2012. This was a 5.9 percent increase in the number of voluntary separations since fiscal year 2011. Several factors may have contributed to the increase in the number of voluntary separations. Specifically:

- According to the Office of the Comptroller of Public Accounts, improved economic indicators signal that the Texas economy is emerging from the recession more quickly than the rest of the United States and Texas continues to add jobs.

- Texas unemployment rates decreased. The statewide unemployment rate decreased from 8.1 percent in fiscal year 2011 to 7.3 percent in fiscal year 2012.

- Retirements continued to be a significant portion of separations. During the past five fiscal years, retirements increased by 29.6 percent. While not increasing substantially between fiscal years 2011 and 2012, retirements still accounted for 17.0 percent of total separations in fiscal years 2011 and 2012.

Involuntary separations accounted for 25.2 percent of the State's total separations in fiscal year 2012. There was a decrease of 15.5 percent in the number of involuntary separations since fiscal year 2011. That decrease was mainly due to fewer reductions in force, which decreased by 92.2 percent from 1,225 separations in fiscal year 2011 to 96 separations in fiscal year 2012.

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