State Senator Rich Draheim said one of his goals when the state legislature reconvenes next month will be to motivate people to go back to
work. With nearly 200,000 open jobs on the market right now, he said the state must find ways to fill them.
Employers statewide are desperate to find employees and are looking for creative ways to attract and retain them. According to a recent article in the Minneapolis Star Tribune, employers are offering hiring bonuses, tuition reimbursement, flexible schedules, expanded mental health offerings, day care assistance, remote work options, and extended options for paid time off.
The article said that some employers are even offering pet insurance to attract and retain workers.
The problem isn’t just in Minnesota, either. The shortage of workers has been labeled the Great Resignation, and one recent report issued by the Labor Department said there could be as many as 11 million open jobs across the country.
Senator Draheim said the number is surprising to him in the face of increasing wages. And indeed, the Minnesota Department of Labor said that wages in the production and retail have increased by nearly 8% in 2021. Yet, Draheim said that has not been enough to convince people to go back to work.
While the State Unemployment Rate currently sits at just over 3%, Draheim said that does not show the entire situation. Unemployment numbers, he said, measure the number of people who do not have jobs that are looking for jobs. He feels the workforce participation rate which measures the number of people who are working, is the better measure of the situation. Using Hennepin County as an example, Senator Draheim said that 22% of the people in that county are not currently participating in the workforce.
Draheim referenced a bill brought by his Republican colleagues in 2017 that would have required someone have a job, be a full-time student, or volunteer 30 hours a week in order to receive entitlements, and he believes that bill should be revived.
“I think that’s something we should revisit. We had a carve out for mental health and for physical health, so there was an opt-out, if you will, from that. But I truly believe God put us all here for a reason, and we all could be productive members of society.”
The Senator said all jobs are honorable and the state needs to help people find “the right path,” so they enjoy what they do.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with State Senator Rich Draheim can be heard here
Data coordinator will provide relief, transparency for Northfield Police Department
Among the many new positions created in the 2022 Northfield Budget is much need Data Coordinator position for the Northfield Police Department. Police Chief Mark Elliott said the new full-time position will fill the needs of the department in several different areas, providing relief to overworked technicians and expertise in the handling of what can be sensitive evidence.
Chief Elliott said the new position is the result of two different organizational reviews.
After a staffing study was conducted on his department in 2019, the findings showed more work in the records department than one person could do. He said the same issue existed for both the Evidence Technician and the Community Service Officer. Additionally, last summer, the NPD began a body-worn camera program, which produces several hours of footage each day, requiring a person to oversee its management.
Last year and into this past Spring, Northfield convened a Police Policy Task force to review department policies regarding contact with the public and procedural matters. Chief Elliott said the task force found the department’s policies lined up with the expectations the public has for the Northfield Police, but there was a desire for more information from the department and more transparency.
“What they really wanted to know is information about our jobs, and what types of crime we have here in Northfield. Well, we really don’t have someone to gather those statistics or to put them into a format that we could put out so folks can be more educated or talk about the training our officers receive. So, that Data Coordinator position is going to have a variety of different job duties.”
Elliott said the new position will take some of the duties from records, evidence and Community Service along with managing the daily body camera footage. They will also have the responsibility to prepare and share the information that the public wants to see.
The new coordinator’s job will not be a law enforcement position, but, he said, it will require a certain set of skills. He said Minnesota’s data practice laws are complicated, and the position will require someone who can understand those parameters and help the department to work within them. He said the position will require someone with a good technical and statistical background, as well as good customer service skills.
The Chief said he hopes to have someone in the position by February.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Northfield Police Chief Mark Elliott can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
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