By Pacific Island Times News Staff
Federal agencies struggle to hire and retain employees on Guam, the Northern Marianas and other U.S. territories due to geographical and various socioeconomic challenges, according to the Government Accountability Office.
“Socioeconomic challenges include the high costs of living and relocation, limited opportunities for local career growth, and lack of quality services and infrastructure,” states the GAO report released this month.
Agencies affected by hiring and retention challenges include the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Transportation Security Administration and Social Security Administration.
On Guam, the federal agencies noted that limited services, such as reliable internet, medical care, childcare, and educational institutions affect recruitment and retention.
The island’s remoteness from the mainland also exacerbates challenges to recruitment and retention.
“One staff member noted that employees must often travel to the mainland for routine medical services. The cost of such a trip is very high, with airfare alone costing as much as $3,000,” the report said.
In the CNMI, cultural barriers pose an impediment to attracting potential job candidates to work in the commonwealth.
“According to officials from selected agencies, cultural and lifestyle differences between CNMI and the mainland U.S. can affect recruitment and retention. For example, staff noted that new hires often experience culture shock, resulting in a retention challenge,” the report said.
Hiring from the local population is out of the question.
The report noted that both Guam and the CNMI have relatively small candidate pools.
“For example, one official noted that agency staff often need master's degrees to qualify for higher-level positions. However, Guam has a limited number of institutions that offer graduate-level education,” the report said.
Federal agencies in American Samoa, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto, Hawaii and Alaska face similar challenges.
“Administrative challenges commonly cited include difficulty with the federal application process, the effective use of hiring authorities and incentives, and headquarters’ staff understanding the needs of staff involved with hiring in these areas,” GAO said.
Federal agencies currently offer recruitment and relocation incentives for positions that are difficult to fill.
However, GAO found that the incentives offered are not attractive enough to offset the impediments to hiring.
The federal law caps the recruitment and relocation incentives at 25 percent of the employee’s annual rate of basic pay.
“This cap may be increased to up to 50 percent with (Office of Public Affairs’) approval, based on a critical agency need, as long as the total incentive does not exceed 100 percent of the employee’s annual rate of basic pay, GAO said.
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