Marion County is hosting job fair to fill 60 open positions

Local Marion County government is experiencing some of the staffing shortages impacting the private sector since the pandemic.

“Prior to 2020, our monthly average was between 25 to 35 open positions. Since 2020, our open positions have hovered around 60 open positions. For us, open positions include full-time, part-time and seasonal opportunities,” says county spokesperson Stacie Causey.

To fill the 60 open positions, spread across 18 departments, the county is hosting four career fairs throughout the month of January. Hiring managers and other county staff will be holding on-the-spot interviews for certain positions, and applications for other positions and volunteer opportunities will also be available at the fairs.

According to a press issued by the county, full-time positions that are eligible for benefits, such as health, life, dental, vision, and long-term disability insurance, and the opportunity to participate in the Florida Retirement System require working 35 hours or more per week.

Causey said the county is also undergoing an organization-wide comprehensive study of wages.

“Our goal is to remain in compliance with the state’s gradual increase of the minimum wage without experiencing compression; when employees who have been in a job for a long time makes less than new hires in the same position,” said Causey.