City-Wide Staffing
Background
• The report assesses full -time and permanent part -time vacancies for City of Oakland positions. Includes key staffing trends, such as recruitment improvements, community recruitment efforts, retention, and employee tenure.
• Assembly Bill 2561 - CA state law requiring public agencies to publicly report on job vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts annually.
What is a vacancy?
• Vacancies are defined as non -encumbered and unfrozen positions. • Non -encumbered positions are available to be filled and are not being held vacant for any other purpose.
• Encumbered positions are tied to funding for overtime, temporary staffing, underfills, or acting assignments.
• Frozen positions are roles that exists in the budget but are not currently available to be filled.
• Positions may be frozen due to:
• Budget constraints
• Strategic or operational realignments
• Pending decisions about the future of the role
Overview
As of February 1, 2026, the City had 4,264.17 full -time equivalent (FTE) positions, with 839.75 vacant, resulting in a 19.69% vacancy rate.
Position Status Sum of FTE Positions % of FTE Positions Filled
Authorized, Unfrozen
3,255.03 76.33%
Encumbered
Authorized, Unfrozen
169.39 3.97%
Vacant
Authorized, Unfrozen
839.75 19.69%
4,264.17 100%
Position Status Sum of FTE Positions % of FTE Positions Filled
Authorized, Frozen
Unauthorized, Unfrozen
3,255.03
3,182.03
4.00 69.00
76.33%
74.62%
0.09%
1.62%
Encumbered
Authorized, Frozen
169.39
167.39
2.00 3.97%
3.93%
0.05%
Vacant
839.75 19.69%
4,264.17 100%
Historical Vacancy Rates
Excludes bargaining units: PT1 - Police Officer Trainees, SI1 - Local 1021 Part Time Employees, Represented (these are TPT classes), TL1 - Part Time Employees, Unrepresented, UG1 - Part Time Employees, Unrepresented, UJ1 - Senior Aides, Unrepresented, US1 - Firefighter Trainees, Unrepresented, UX1 - Mayor and Council Members, Unrepresented
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
100.00
600.00
1,100.00
1,600.00
2,100.00
2,600.00
3,100.00
3,600.00
4,100.00
4,600.00
Nov 2020 May 2021 Oct 2021 Apr 2022 Nov 2022 May 2023 Oct 2023 Apr 2025 Feb 2026 # of FTE Vacancies % Vacant
Vacancy Rate %s by Department
11 35 9 23 4
4 6
1 5
0 5
37 13 34.8
8 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
DWES HRM Police
Commission
DVP PEC
Vacant Encumbered Filled
Vacancy Rate #s by Department
121.5 119
114 104.71
77 23
20 9
10 32.96
495
275.85
848 485.2
160
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
OFD DOT OPD OPW HSD
Vacant Encumbered Filled
Vacancy Rate by Union
Union Total FTE Filled Encumbered Vacant Vacancy Rate
Local 21 1,421.42 969 102.48 349.94 24.62%
SEIU 1021 1,503.75 1,165.03 34.91 303.81 20.20%
IAAF 500 397 18 85 17.00%
CMEA 48 39 2 7 14.58%
IBEW 17 14 1 2 11.76%
OPOA/OPMA 696 615 3 78 11.21%
Unrepresented 78 56 8 14 18.95%
4,264.17 3,255.03 169.39 839.75 19.69%
Vacancy Rate by Bargaining Unit
Bargaining Unit Total
FTE Filled Encumbered Vacant Vacancy
Rate
TA1: Confidential Employees (Local 21) 58.92 19 20.48 19.44 32.99% TF1: Prof. Engineers, Architects & Museum
Employees (Local 21) 121 71 14 36 29.75%
TM2: Supervising Civil & Transportation
Engineers (Local 21) 17 10 2 5 29.41%
UM2: Management Employees (Civil Service)
(Local 21) 249.5 163 14 72.5 29.06%
SB1: Craft Employees (SEIU 1021) 116 85 1 30 25.86%
TW1: Admin, Prof, Technical & Other (Local 21) 574.5 390 43 141.5 24.63% SD1: Office and Technical Employees (SEIU
1021) 584.76 414 30.16 140.6 24.04%
UM1: Management Employees (Exempt) (Local
21) 115.5 85 5 25.5 22.08%
UN2: Sworn Police Mgmt, Deputy Chief &
Captain of Police (OPOA/OPMA) 14 8 3 3 21.43%
AB 2561 Reporting Threshold
• Bargaining units with vacancies ≥ 20% of authorized full -time positions are subject to AB 2561 reporting.
• Required information:
1. The total number of job vacancies within the bargaining unit.
2. The total number of applicants for vacant positions within the bargaining unit.
3. The average number of days to complete the hiring process from when a position is posted.
4. Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions.
Applicant Volume & Hiring Timeline for Bargaining Units with Vacancy Rates of 20% or Higher
Bargaining Unit
# of Applications
Received:
2/1/2021 – 2/1/2026
Average # Days:
Job Posting to List
Created
Average # Days:
Referred to Hire
Average # Days:
Hiring Process
IFPTE Local 21
TA1 1,009 44.33 64.31 108.65
TF1 76 68.00 150.00 218.00
UM2 3,861 73.68 89.97 163.66
TW1 11,612 84.00 120.61 204.61
TM2 24 78.00 74.00 152.00
OPOA/OPMA
UN2 29 79.67 26.33 106.00
SEIU Local 1021
SD1 6,599 76.68 100.31 176.99
SB1 985 145.18 122.94 268.11
AB 2561 Analysis
AB 2561 Analysis
• The average hiring timeline was measured into two stages:
• Stage 1 reflects the number of days from the announcement opening to the establishment of an eligible list. (HRM)
• Stage 2 reflects the number of days from candidate referral to hire approval. (Hiring Departments)
Stage 2
59%
Stage 1
41%
Local 21
Stage 2
50%
Stage 1
50%
SEIU
Summary of Vacancy Status
*There may be multiple vacancies associated with a single recruitment process.
Vacancy Status As of 2/4/26 As of 4/4/25
No Requisition 310 240
Eligible List Available, No Requisition 116 221
On Hold by Department 5 21
Department Interview Process (Eligible List Referred) 120 101 Non-Civil Service – Departments conduct hiring process 21 9 Candidate Identified (Backgrounds, Offers and Hire Approvals) 56 40 Requisition Pending Approval 51 77
Pending HR Analyst Assignment 40 10
Active HRM Recruitment in Progress* 92 49
On Hold for Class Specification/Title Changes 40 11
851 779
Summary of Vacancy Status
*There may be multiple vacancies associated with a single recruitment process.
Vacancy Status (as of 2/4/26) # %
No Requisition 310 36%
Eligible List Available, No Requisition 116 14%
On Hold by Department 5 1%
Department Interview Process (Eligible List Referred) 120 14% Non-Civil Service – Departments conduct hiring process 21 2% Candidate Identified (Backgrounds, Offers and Hire Approvals) 56 7% Requisition Pending Approval 51 6%
Pending HR Analyst Assignment 40 5%
Active HRM Recruitment in Progress* 92 11%
On Hold for Class Specification/Title Changes 40 4%
851 100%
Sworn vs. Non-Sworn Positions
Sworn vs Non Total FTE Filled Encumbered Vacant Vacancy Rate Non-Sworn 3,061.17 2,238.03 146.39 676.75 22.11%
Sworn 1,203.00 1,017.00 23.00 163.00 13.55%
4,264.17 3,255.03 168.39 839.75 19.69%
Reasons for Separations
FY Resign Retire Other Total
24-25 167 134 79 380
23-24 149 86 26 261
22-23 201 84 48 333
21-22 242 135 69 446
20-21 140 123 39 302
19-20 146 96 61 303
18-19 111 78 41 230
17-18 117 110 34 261
16-17 106 131 39 276
15-16 98 113 36 247
FY24-25 Separations by Dept (Top 10)
Police, 30%
Fire, 13%Oakland Public Works, 12%
Human Services, 6%
Department of
Transportation, 6%
City Council, 4%
Office of the Mayor, 4%
Finance, 3%
Planning & Building, 3% Oakland Public
Library, 3%
Employee Tenure
12.03 12.63 12.63
14.06 13.44 13.92
12.18 11.01 11.74 11.84
13.52 15-16 16-17 17-18 18-19 19-20 20-21 21-22 22-23 23-24 24-25 Current Years of Service
Fiscal Year
Average Tenure of City Employees at Time of Separation
Regional Vacancy Rates
Budgeted
FTE
Dec
2025
Apr
2025
Sep
2023
May
2023
Dec
2022
May
2022
San Jose 7,009 9.49% 10.09% 13.46% 14.41% 15.21% 13.20% San Francisco 34,375.59 4.64% 6.65% 11.03% 12.47% 13.27% NA Berkeley 1,773 16.53% 16.25% 12.93% 18.68% 17.85% 16.21% Concord 426 7.51% 8.83% 8.85% 11.30% 11.63% 13.69%
Hayward 956.3 20.18% 12.02% 17.08% 12.82% 14.16% 14.80% Fremont 1,007 12.32% 13.61% 14.72% 12.76% 12.56% 11.49% Richmond 810 18.64% 20.42% 17.52% 19.01% 20.19% 16.15%
Vallejo N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 26.75% 28.48%
Oakland 4,264.17 19.69% 17.94% 18.42% 19.17% 19.79% 19.23% Summary
• HRM’s strategy to strengthen hiring and retention:
• Partner with departments to streamline hiring processes and reduce time - to -fill.
• Support departments in attracting and retaining talent while adapting to evolving workforce needs.
• Advance equity by embedding equitable practices in recruitment and employment.
• Strengthen retention through employee development, career growth, and support for supervisors and managers.
• Equip leaders with the tools and skills to foster engagement and a high - performing workforce