MPPS Policy Brief: Most Michigan local officials believe their government workforce reflects their community, less so in urban areas
This policy brief presents Michigan local leaders’ views on the composition of their local government’s workforce compared to their community’s population. These findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the spring 2022 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS)— conducted between April 4 and June 6, 2022.
Key findings
- Statewide, two-thirds (67%) of local government leaders say their government’s workforce is generally reflective of the community’s racial and/or ethnic composition and three-quarters (74%) say it is reflective of the community’s gender makeup. These assessments in Michigan align closely with those of local government leaders across the country.
- Local officials who describe their jurisdiction as fully rural (75%) and mostly rural (68%) are significantly more likely to say their local government workforce is reflective of the community’s racial/ethnic composition compared with those from mostly urban (49%) or fully urban (39%) communities. Nearly half (49%) of officials from Michigan’s fully urban jurisdictions believe their government’s workforce is not as representative of the community’s racial composition as it could be.
- As of 2022, 11% of local governments report having policies or practices for recruiting or retaining a workforce that is reflective of its community, including 21% of cities, 13% of counties, and 9% of villages and townships.