A recent article in Governing suggests that some recessionary reductions in local government employment could be permanent. The article shares data from counties and municipalities that had the most severe cuts, eliminating from a quarter to over half of their local government workforce, and looks at trends from 2007-2013.

The article describes,

What led these governments to make severe workforce reductions and how they responded to cutbacks offer unique lessons in an era of doing more with less.

The article also shares some of the reasons for reductions, including the housing bubble and limited revenue sources.

Chula Vista had enjoyed years of rapid development before it all came to a standstill. The city, which relies significantly on property taxes, issued layoff notices in 2007, 2008 and 2009 that collectively led to nearly a third of the workforce departing. “As a local government, it opened our eyes up to [the fact] that you cannot rely on just sales and property taxes,” says Deputy City Manager Kelley Bacon.

For more information on workforce reductions, read the whole article from Governing here.

For more information about county employment nationwide, access the National Association of Counties’ County Explorer here.