The City of Stockton is making notable strides in hiring, but persistent vacancies and calls for more inclusive staffing reveal deeper challenges beneath the surface.
While there has been a steady decline in turnover rate in recent years, wide discrepancies exist in vacancy rates across departments.
At a recent Council meeting, Stockton officials reported a citywide vacancy rate of 14.29%, with 230 out of 1,609 budgeted positions unfilled.
The highest vacancy rates were in Trades and Maintenance at 17.7%, the Stockton City Employees Association at 16.9% and Operations and Maintenance at 16.2%. The Stockton Police Management reported no vacancies.
In the past year, the city hired 305 full-time employees, with the highest numbers in police, fire and municipal utilities. Administrative, community services, economic development, IT and HR also added staff. Turnover has declined from nearly 15% in 2022 to just under 4% so far in 2025, indicating improved retention.
Since January 2025, 68 full-time employees have left, including eight in leadership roles.
To support recruitment, Stockton has expanded hiring incentives. Most general employees are eligible for a $2,000 sign-on bonus, 40 hours of sick leave, $1,500 in annual education assistance and a $600 deferred compensation match.
Fire personnel may receive $15,000 bonuses for paramedics, while telecommunicators are eligible for $10,000 sign-on bonuses.
The Stockton Police Officers Association benefits from up to $15,000 in sign-on and relocation incentives, advanced vacation time, full health coverage and premium pay for roles like SWAT.
The city said it continues to invest in outreach and hiring efficiency, including job fairs, partnerships with CSU East Bay and a streamlined process with online testing and onboarding. Participation in testing has increased from 60% to 80% in some recruitments, helping accelerate hiring.
During public comment, community member Yolanda Amen spoke about the noticeable absence of women and people of color at the Firefighter’s Crab Feed, emphasizing the importance of a workforce that reflects Stockton’s community.
In response, Councilmember Michele Padilla said she was told at a recent fire department event that only one woman currently serves in the department. Padilla tried to explain the lack of women in the department by speaking about the physically demanding nature of the job.
Padilla said that she and other city officials were exhausted after participating in a training exercise with the fire department.
“I’m not being discriminatory, but it is extremely difficult, hard work carrying that equipment,” Padilla said.
While likely intended to acknowledge the challenges of firefighting, Padilla’s comment also pointed out a common perception that can unintentionally reinforce barriers to entry, despite the fact that women serve in fire departments across the country and successfully meet the same standards.
Jenny Hernandez, president of the Stockton City Employees Association, addressed ongoing staffing shortages across several departments. While city staff had stated there were no police vacancies, Hernandez said there were currently 46 vacancies in the department and that long-term understaffing is affecting morale and services.
Hernandez criticised the city’s increasing reliance on part-time “program specialists,” positions she said were originally meant to provide a short-term fix, but are now used widely instead of hiring full-time, union represented staff. Hernandez argued this has created a two-tier workforce, bypassing protections and benefits for efficiency. Citing AB 2561, Hernandez called on the city to collaborate with employee groups to fill vacancies within 180 days and commit to a fair, sustainable staffing plan.
As Stockton works to strengthen its workforce and improve retention, the path forward will depend on meaningful collaboration between city leadership, employees and the community to ensure a fully staffed, diverse and resilient public sector.