INDIANAPOLIS — Dozens of state employees received notice this week they’re out of a job.
WRTV Investigates has learned the Braun Administration has eliminated at least 131 positions from numerous state agencies.
State workers in education and commerce are among those facing layoffs.
Impacted staff were notified yesterday of a Reduction in Force (RIF), according to Courtney Bearsch, a spokesperson at the Indiana Department of Education.
- Commission for Higher Education – 3 employees impacted
- Department of Education – 6 employees impacted
- School for the Deaf – 14 employees impacted
- State Library – 16 employees impacted
=TOTAL 39 positions
An additional 43 positions across the education vertical will also remain unfilled, representing a total of approximately $6.9 million in salary and benefits savings, said Bearsch.
“In the final days of the legislative session, our state’s leaders had to adjust the final budget to account for an over $2 billion budget shortfall,” said Bearsch in an email to WRTV.
“Like most agencies across state government, agencies within the education vertical saw budget reductions.”
Governor Braun’s office declined to comment, but Bearsch said agencies are adjusting to the realities of a much tighter budget.
“This is not something that was taken lightly, and we are grateful for the work of each of these colleagues to serve our agencies and Hoosiers,” said Bearsch. “Each agency’s unique budget and respective reductions determined the staffing adjustments needed. When possible, agencies prioritized not filling vacant positions, as well as leveraging other funding streams, rather than reducing current staffing levels.”
Under the Office of Commerce, the state has reduced a total of 49 positions.
While some were eliminated due to natural employee attrition, this week, 12 of those positions were eliminated through a reduction in workforce:
- 8 positions at the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC)
- 3 positions at the Indiana Destination Development Corporation
- 1 position at the Governor’s Workforce Cabinet
WRTV Investigates asked for a written copy of the RIF (Reduction in Force) notices.
“The RIF notices happened verbally,” said Erin Sweitzer, Deputy Chief of Staff/VP External Communications at IEDC. “Together, these changes improve organizational focus and generate over $7.4 million in annual savings to Hoosiers (roughly $1.5M of which is from this week’s 12 reductions).”
Sweitzer said eliminating the positions allows the state to align more closely with Braun’s strategic goals and the Office of Commerce’s new budget.
“More importantly, these changes support Governor Braun's key priorities: upskilling Indiana’s workforce, supporting existing businesses, launching the Office of Innovation and Entrepreneurship focused on Main Street Indiana, and advancing a regional economic development model,” said Sweitzer in an email to WRTV.
