The state Department of Human Resources has released the Retirement Eligibility Report.
The report is to guide strategic workforce planning to help state agencies more effectively manage their recruitment and retention efforts.
According to the report, 23% of state employees are eligible to retire by June 30, 2027, which is significantly lower than the average number of 32.5% of eligible state employees who retire annually.
"There are some agencies that have about 30% of state employees eligible to retire over the next 5 years including the Department of Correction and the Department of Health and Social Services. They are our two largest state agencies," said Department of Human Resources Secretary Claire DeMatteis.
According to the report, Transportation and the Services for Children, Youth and Their Families also will approach that 30% number.
The Department of Safety and Homeland Security, which is one of the state’s larger agencies, has the lowest percentage of employees eligible to retire within the next five years at 8%.
Meanwhile, 12% of state agency employees are eligible for immediate retirement, and 28% of school teachers in Delaware are eligible to retire within five years.
The report also showed the rate of state employees retiring remained steady over the past 16 years.
DeMatteis says that even continued during the height of the pandemic from 2020-2022.
"We were curious with the COVID pandemic and the quote-unquote great resignation across the country, the impact that had on state employment, and what we found is the state of Delaware did not have any sort of a great resignation or mass resignation or mass retirement from state employees," said DeMatteis.
DeMatteis does note that hiring in the state is up from this time last year, and the number of state applications is up 18%.
She adds that Delaware is also stepping up efforts to advertise out of state for jobs in Delaware state employment.
The report can be found at https://dhr.delaware.gov/personnel/reports/2022-retirement-eligibility-rpt.pdf
