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Show Numbers of State Employees Show Slight Decrease, But Cost to State Takes Jump Utah state employees, exclu-persons in the five-year period, sive of colleges and vocational schools, totaled 3,836 as of January, Jan-uary, 1952, a decrease of 141 employees em-ployees from the 3,977 non-school state employees of January, 1947. This was revealed by a research report covering state employment released today by Utah Foundation, Founda-tion, the non-profit tax research agency. Although the 1952 number num-ber was 3.5 less than the 1947 total, it represented 345 more workers than were employed by the State a decade ago, in January, Janu-ary, 1942. Of the 3,836 non-school state employees for January, 1952, approximately ap-proximately 3,557 were permanent perman-ent employees and 279 were temporary tem-porary or hourly employees, it was indicated by the study. Substantial Sub-stantial decreases were made between, be-tween, 1947 and 1952 on the number num-ber of employees in the departments depart-ments of Employment Security, highways, liquor control and welfare. The total number of workers in these four departments depart-ments decreased by 426 from stitutlons have increased by 186 the Department of Health increased in-creased 33 persons, and Penal and correction shows an increase of 28 employees incident to the operation of the new state prison, pri-son, according to the Utah Foun-datlon Foun-datlon report. Total payrolls for all state employing units, exclusive exclu-sive of colleges and vocational schools, amounted to $996,481 for January, 1952, having risen from $422,114 for January, 1942, and $722,127 for January, 1947. ' Utah Foundation analysts state that the problem of attracting and retaining competent employees employ-ees for state agencies has been accentuated in recent years by rapid rises in living costs and by the competition of enormous Federal spending and employment employ-ment program. Many state officials of-ficials at the present time indicate in-dicate a policy of attempting to stabilize their employment by consolidating functions to eliminate elim-inate unnecessary personnel and to make available the funds necessary nec-essary to attract and retain a force of competent persons. The Utah Foundation study shows a decrease in the gross payroll for January, 1952, from that of January, 1947, in four state departments: the office of the Governor, Liquor Control, State Treasurer, and Welfare. Personnel in the office of the Governor has been reduced from 17 employees in 1947 to 8 in 1952, reducing the payroll from $3,442 to $2,279 per month. The reduction reduc-tion in personnel resulted from the elimination of the welfare "rehabilitation 1 n v e s t i g ators" maintained by the Governor's office of-fice in 1947, and reduction of office staff from six to four persons. per-sons. Welfare payrolls declined from $59,914 to $51,037 and personnel per-sonnel from 341 to 211 between January, 1947, and January, 1952. Average monthly salaries (gross payrolls divided by total employees) of non -school state employees in Utah increased $121 for January, 1942, to $181 for, January, 1947, and $260 for January, Jan-uary, 1952. Average monthly wages for all workers covered by Unemployment Compensation increased from $125 during the first quarter of 1942 to $196 for the first quarter of 1947, and $273 for the calendar vear. 1951. |