NORFOLK, Va. - The City of Norfolk has 800 open positions as of January 13.
"We are looking for accountants to zookeepers - everything from A to Z," said LaVoris Pace, deputy city manager.
The city says normally they run with about 200 to 300 openings, and this is the highest it's been.
"Everyone is struggling to get people back after the pandemic," said Catheryn Whitesell. "More jobs are open, then people are looking for work."
The city believes the pandemic meant job changes for many - even retirement - so it's left a major gap in city government jobs.
"This is not unique to Norfolk. Cities across the country experiencing this," said Whitesell.
The biggest vacancies are within the critical first responder role.
"[There are] nearly 200 police vacancies, 50 fire folks open, 911 operators," said Whitesell.
The city says as of right now, that void isn't impacting response times or citizens' calls for help.
"Our first responders are stepping up, working overtime, taking extra shifts and duties to have 24/7 service times," said Whitesell.
There surprisingly isn't any impact yet to other services you come to expect.
"Every library is open; rec centers are open. We are doing all we can to keep service to citizens in the high level we expect," said Whitesell.
If you are looking for a job in public service or local government, the city says the wage is competitive and the benefits are strong.
"We offer paid vacation and have one of the best pension plans in city government," said Whitesell.
This spring, the city will also offer several resume and interviewing workshops to further prepare candidates for the jobs they have listed.
Click here to see the job openings.
Related: Jobless claims in the US spiked by 23,000, now up to 230,000
