LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - In a story July 9 about the Arkansas state government’s hiring freeze, The Associated Press reported erroneously that Gov. Asa Hutchinson would be lifting the freeze as of Aug. 1. He will be partially lifting the freeze, but agencies will still face limits on the size of their staff and how much they can pay in salaries.
A corrected version of the story is below:
Policies governing Arkansas hiring freeze loosening up
Arkansas agencies will be allowed next month to hire employees for many vacant positions without having to ask permission as they were required to do under a state hiring freeze
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Arkansas agencies will be allowed next month to hire employees for many vacant positions without having to ask permission, as they have been required to do since 2015.
The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports (https://bit.ly/2sULGjP ) that, starting Aug. 1, agency heads will be allowed to hire people without seeking permission ahead of time, but mainly for lower-paid positions.
Gov. Asa Hutchinson imposed the hiring freeze the day after taking office in 2015. While he is relaxing the order, agencies still face limits on staff size and total salaries. Agency directors must report monthly on how they are doing.
The governor has said the freeze resulted in about 1,400 positions going unfilled.
About 31,300 people work for state agencies and another 29,600 work in higher education institutions.
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