Personnel iB State and Local Public Assistance Agencies, *

N June 1949 approximately 56,000 agencies administering approved manpower shortage that prevailed persons were employed in the Plans for the special types of public throughout the Nation in all types of I State and local offices of public assistance were required to submit a endeavor. The public assistance assistance agencies administering the semiannual report on personnel. agencies’ inability to recruit staff in public assistance and related welfare For the 6 months ended June 1949, sufficient numbers is reflected in the programs. Though this number was reports were received from 59 agen- vacancy rates for that period, which about 30 percent larger than that in cies a in 51 States, including the were considerably higher than they , over the same period District of Columbia, Alaska, and are at present. the number of cases receiving assist- (table 1). The reports cover, Since December 1945 the net in- ance increased by about 40 percent- in addition to personnel administer- crease in staff from period to period from 2.7 to 3.7 million. It is therefore ing the three special types of public has been somewhat uneven. For the apparent that the increase in staff, assistance, most of the paid staff ad- 6 months ended in June 1949, how- though large, has not been propor- ministering general assistance.3 Ad- ever, it was larger-both numerically tionate to the rise in work loads. ministration of the four assistance and percentagewise-than for any This article gives a summary of the programs occupies most of the staff previous period. Five-sixths of the staffing sit.uation in public assistance time in these agencies; in some, how- agencies had staff increases during agencies as shown in semiannual re- ever, a substantial block of time is this period, though the and ports on personnel that have been devoted to related welfare programs, New York agencies accounted for submitted to the Bureau of Public As- such as child welfare services, foster more than half the net increase of sistance since . Dur- care, and probation and parole. 3,300. ing the early war years, when State Approximately seven-eighths of the public assistance agencies were faced Size of Sta# and Distribution employees-49,000-work in local of- with acute staff shortages and high fices established in county, city, or rates of turn-over, efforts to interpret Since the beginning of the report- other local government units, and the staffing problem were severely ing project, the Bureau has prepared the remaining one-eighth-7,300-are hampered by the lack of factual in- estimates of the number of employees employees in the central and district formation on the size and composition in public assistance agencies, based in offices of the State agencies. In about of staff; on the number of vacancies part on reported data and in part on half the agencies, between 80 and 90 and the types of positions in which estimates for those agencies that did vacancy rates were highest; on rates not submit reports. The estimates for Chart l.-Employees, by type ofposi- of personnel turn-over, by type of earlier periods have now been revised tion, December 194%June 1949 position; and on the size of the in- on the basis of the reported informa- THOUSANDS OF EMPLOYEES SO dividual work loads that visitors were tion for June 1949 and are presented attempting to carry. To meet the de- in chart 1 and table 2, together with mand for information of this kind, the June 1949 data. the Bureau of Public Assistance in Part of the decline in staff during 1942 asked State public assistance the war years 1942-45 occurred be- agencies to participate voluntarily in cause the number of cases receiving a reporting project designed to collect assistance dropped substantially, par- data on their personnel. The number ticularly in aid to dependent children of agencies responding to this request and general assistance. Some of the grew from 27 in December 1942 to 55 staff decline, however, reflected the in . Beginning with the report for June 1949: all State 21n 45 States only one State agency submits reports; for six States, however, more than one agency is counted for the *Prepared by the Division of Statistics purpose of this reporting project, as fol- and Analysis, Bureau of Public Assistance, lows: three each in Delaware and New Social Securitv Administration. Jersey and two each in Massachusetts, *Form PA-Z”OO3,Semiannual Statistical North Carolina, Ohio, and Virginia. Report on Staff of Public Assistance 3For general assistance, data exclude Agencies. The definitions and reporting the following sizable group for whom no instructions for this report had been co- basis of estimate is available: all em- ordinated in 1948 with those used by the ployees in Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Children’s Bureau for a similar report on Kentucky, New Jersey, Oklahoma, and personnel administering child welfare Texas: all local oflice employees in Maine: services, submitted by most of the same and some local oface employees in State agencies. and Wisconsin.

Bulletin, Table l.-Employees and vacancies, June 1949, and accessions and separations, January- June 1949 T T June 1949 2 - Employees by type of- Vacancies Accessions Separations I- - - state Agency office: Total - Rate Rate Rate I vum- ,er 100 ) I \ium- 1,er 100 m 100 cxeM*- posi- Cl wand ber ber nPloY nploy- state Local t! “k?- tions ees ees social and P?orkeI other -- -- Total, 59 awn. cirs in 51 State 56,304 -- 7,332 48,9i2 Il. 473 24.831 3.419 5.8 1 0.2B 19.2 7.104 13.3 Alabama. __.__ -. Department of Public Welfare. ABCG 0 745 118 627 433 312 55 6.9 128 107 14.6 Alaska-.. ____ ---. Department of Public Welfare A c G 0 13 17 14 __...~ (5) Arizona-----_---. Department of Public Welfare ABCG 0 2;; 52 160 119 lb: i 4. 1 3: 15.7 4; 19.4 Arkansas...... Department of Public Welfare ABC0 0 368 310 223 145 12 3.2 54 15.0 11.1 California.. _ ___. Department of Social Welfare ABCG 0 5,792 5:: 5,219 2,898 2,894 432 6.9 2,204 40. 8 1,442: 26.4 Colorado. _.- . .._ Department of Public Welfare ABCG 0 723 82 641 401 322 53 6. 8 127 17.9 102 14.4 Connecticut. . . Offlceof Commissionerof Welfare ABC 204 55 149 107 87 11 5.1 23 11.3 22 10.8 Divisionof Public Assistance. Old Age Welfare Commission. A 29 29 14 15 ($1 , .._-_ Commission for the Blind_--- B 0 6 i:i3g 4 2 I Board of Welfare ___. --__- __._ i 31 (9 (9 District of Colum Board of Welfare, Public AB:G 00 1:; 129 (3) 68 2 5.1 10.2 % 6 bia. Assistance Division. Florida------.. Welfare Board-..----~--.--~~. 820 759 532 28X 51 5.9 197 24. 7 155 IQ. 4 Georgia. _ _ _.__ -. Department of Public Welfare 932 526 406 79 7. x 15c I 16.4 118 12. 9 Hawaii __.___ ---. Department of Public Welfare 234 :ii 137 32 12.0 19.2 23 10.3 Idaho ______---. Departmentof Public Assistance 167 129 2 12.1 i: I 18.1 28 16.9 Illinois. _ -___-_-. Public Aid Commission.-.--- 2,366 2,034 1,4;: 943 t-i 3.0 344 14.8 252 10.9 Indiana- -__--__. Department ofPublic Welfare 1.357 1,1nc 785 572 4.2 147 10. 9 129 9.6 .___..__ --_~ Department of Social Welfare. 830 558 413 417 ii 4.4 108 13. 0 105 12.7 Kansas- .____._ -. Department of Social Welfare. 791 727 411 380 30 3.7 11(! , 14.1 91 11.6 Kentucky-...... Department of Economic Se- 411 298 318 93 2 .5 75 19.5 25 6.4 curity, Division of Public Assistance. Department of Public Welfare .4 A c Q 0 1,626 322 1,304 840 786 164 9.2 409 , 26.6 235 15.3 Department of Health and A B C Gfi 0 273 83 190 145 128 11 3.9 27 9.9 24 8.8 Welfare. Maryland- __._.._ Department of Public Welfare ABCG 0 627 45 578 407 216 10.6 90, 14.4 94 15.0 Massachusetts.-. Department of Public Welfare A CG 0 2,361 258 2, 103 1,245 1.116 i: 2.6 255 11.0 172 7.4 Department of Education, B 0’ 31 31 (3) 12 19 1 (9 5 (5) 4 (‘1 Division of the Blind. ____ -___ Social Welfare Commission, A B C G 0 2,443 168 2,275 1,535 908 6 12 5. 9 8 142 8 120 1 9. 7 Departmentof Social Welfare- Department of Social Security, A B C Go 0 1,365 214 1,151 696 669 65 4.5 123 98 7. 2 Divisionof Social Welfare. Mississippi. __ Department of Public Welfare ABC 640 128 512 346 294 59 8.4 160 26.1 104 17.0 .... _._.. Department of Public IIealth ABCG “0 1,455 179 1,276 843 612 47 3.1 298 21.6 153 11.1 and Welfare, Division of Welfare. Montana. ______Department of Public Welfare 239 69 170 125 114 3. 6 20.3 42 17.8 ---..--. Department of Assistance and 628 130 498 350 278 13” 2.0 21.2 103 16.8 Child Welfare. Nevada. _ _ _.____ Welfare Department, Division 30 9 21 18 12 2 (9 1 (9 2 (9 of Public Assistance. New Hampshire. Department of Public Welfare 150 40 110 90 60 0 16 12.1 16 10. 7 New Jersey-- Department of Institutions and Agencies: Division of Old Age Aasistancv 496 30 466 259 237 11 2. 2 56 11.5 34 7.0 Commission for the Blind-.. 20 (3) 4 0 0 I.. .I Board of Child Welfare..-.. 310 ii 242 171 1:: 5 l.R 35 11.0 31 ?o. 4 New Mexico----. Department of Public Welfan, 320 69 251 173 147 5.0 74 23.:: 70 22.0 New York---..-. Department of Social Welfare. , 10,893 511 10,382 5, X48 5, n45 1, “iI 8.4 2,129 20.5 1,144 11.0 North Carolina-. Board of Public Welfare._--_. 892 89 803 519 3i3 77 7. 9 128 14.6 92 10.5 Commission for the Blind.... X5 53 32 39 7.1 5.9 North Dakota-.. Public Welfare Board ____..._ 236 76 160 4 127 2: 8.2 336 14.4 1; 8.3 Ohio--- ______---. Department of Public Welfare Division of Aid for the Aged A 1,206 203 1,003 768 438 18 1.5 13d 11.3 106 8.9 Division of Social Adminis- BCG 0 1,484 270 1,214 796 688 5 .3 315 22.1 197 13.8 tration. Oklahoma-.---_. Department of Public Welfare 1,204 148 1,056 842 362 5.0 200 151 12.8 Ofig;oIl_____ - . . . Public Welfare Commission.. 647 120 52i 316 331 :i 2.0 12i 2 i 105 16.5 Pennsylvania.... Departmentof Public Aasistancr 3, x34 61X 3.216 2,049 1,785 330 7. 9 494 13.2 319 8.5 Rhode Island.... Department of Social Welfare, ABCG 336 39 297 182 154 19 5.4 34 10. 1 33 9.8 Division of Public Assistancncr. South Carolina.. Department of Public Welfnrc 553 470 358 195 5.1 5s 10.6 9.3 South Dakota... Department of Social Security IzxG O 211 ii lR2 127 9. R 36 17.4 ;: 13.1 Tennessee._.m--~ Department of Public Welfare h B c ii fin7 105 552 2::: 12.7 11.1 18. 2 58 9.2 Texas ____.._ -_-. Department of Public Welfare .4 B c 1,40x 178 1,230 iit 5X6 4. 2 217 15. 6 177 12.8 Utah----_--- ___. Department of Public Welfare A B C G “0 199 28 171 126 73 2.0 34 14.1 27 13.6 Vermont...----. Department of Social Welfare. A B C 101 59 9. 9 10. 8 Virginia .___ -__-. Department of Welfare and il CG iii 768 12 6;; 4c4 3:: 8.0 1:: 16.5 1:: 13.9 Institutions. Commission for the Blind& . 0 _-____ Washingtoxw--.. Department of Social Security. A :: C! G “0 1,07; 12: (145 5938 47: : (“! 6 236 20.7 36: 32.4 West Virginia---. Department of Public Assistance A B C G 0 487 76 411 343 144 44 8.3 70 14. 9 3X 8.1 Wisconsin- .___.. Department of Public Welfare, A B C GS 0 732 74 658 417 315 11 1.5 98 13. 7 66 9.2 Divisionof PublicAssistzmcc. Wyoming __._____ Department of Public Welfare. ABCG 0 89 16 73 53 36 5 5.3 9 9. 8 15 16.3 - - i - - For footnotes see next page.

8 Social Security Table 2.-Number of employees and jor groups-those in executive and so- Special interest attaches to the net change, December 1942June 1949 cial work positions, who comprise number of field representatives em- somewhat more than half (56 per- ployed by State agencies, in view of cent) of all staff; and those in all the requirement in the Social Secur- other types of positions, principally ity Act that a State agency must clerical (table 3). Within these ma- either administer or supervise the ad- jor groups, employees have been fur- ministration of State-wide plans for December 1942. _ _ __ 51,200 -___- . .._ - _-_-__--__ ther classified by the type of position. public assistance. Though State Juno 1943 _._._._____ 48,400 -2,800 ....- 45,600 -2,800 z: The largest single class in the first agencies use many methods to super- June 1944.~~~~~~~~~~ 44,300 -1,300 Docemberl944.---- 43,409 -900 1; group are case workers (visitors), who vise local offices, there is general ac- _...______+;;; (9 number 23,000 and represent two- ceptance of the belief that field repre- December 1945....- 2 E -2 . . .._..._._ 44: 800 fifths of all staff; they, together with sentatives provide a channel of direct -e. _. 46,100 ~:% :i June 1947-----~~-._. 48,460 gi& +5 a small class known as director-work- communication between the State December 1847.. ._ g, ;‘g ers, are directly responsible for deter- agency and local offices that is es- ---.----~__ +1: 700 $3” December 1948.. _ __ 53: 000 -El, son mining the original and continued eli- sential to effective supervision. It is June 1949-----_---__ 56,360 , +3,300 $4 gibility of recipients of assistance. apparent from the following tabula- The director-workers combine the tion that this number varies consid- 1 Increase of less thnn 0.5 percent. functions of visitor and executive head erably among agencies. A similar percent of the staff are in local offices. in small local offices, which are fairly variation may exist in the amount and Of the six agencies that report no numerous in some States. Other character of the supervision that field local office staff, four including the classes included in this first group are representatives are expected to pro- District of Columbia administer their directors-the executive heads of vide. programs through a central office. State and local offices and their im- The local office staff of the remaining mediate assistants; supervisors, whose Average number of major function is the supervision of local of/ices per Number of two agencies is included in the report j‘ield representative visitors; field representatives in State agencies of another State assistance agency. Total------____ L ______140 The size of an agency-State and office positions with supervisory re- - local office staff combined-is deter- sponsibility for the over-all adminis- Less than 3_------____-_ - ____ - ____ 3 mined to a considerable extent by the tration of local offices; and all other 3-4.9-_------______8 number, size, and types of programs employees in social work positions, 5-6.9-_-__-----_---______9 7-8.9------~--~-~~~~~~ 12 that are administered by the agency. such as special service consultants, 9-10.9---_-_--______3 About three-fourths of the agencies child welfare consultants, and medi- 11 or more_---_____-_--_--______5 have fewer than 1,000 employees each, cal social workers. and half employ fewer than 500. The The 2,600 case supervisors are 1 Excludes agencies with no local ofaces two largest agencies-New York with and those for which comparable infor- somewhat unevenly distributed among mation on field staff and local ofIices almost 11,000 employees and Cali- States. Three-fifths work in six of supervised is not available. fornia with 5,800-account for about the largest agencies: though these 30 percent of all public assistance agencies employ less than half the Factors other than the number of workers. The distribution of agen- visitors. Seven State agencies’ have local offices to be supervised must, of cies by size of staff in June 1949 is as no employees whose major function iS course, be considered in determining follows: case supervision; in these agencies, the size of the field staff. Among the function is performed by directors these are the number and size of the Number of local offices, senior visitors, or State Size of statf of agencies programs administered by local of- field representatives. With one ex- Total------59 fices; the physical size of the State; ception, these seven agencies have and the unique administrative ar- Less than 100 ______--__-_- ______10 relatively small staffs. rangements that exist in some States. 100499------~-~--~----~~~~-~-- 19 500-999-----_---___--__--_------15 1,000-1,499------__~~~_-~~_~__--~-~ 8 4 California, Illinois, Massachusetts Turn-over 1,500-1,999_---_-_--~_~-_~--______1 (Department of Public Welfare), Michi- Turn-over rates afford some meas- 2,000 Or more------_-_------____ 6 gan, New York, Pennsylvania. ure of the staffing problem of public 5 Idaho, Kentucky, Montana, New Personnel in public assistance agen- Hampshire, New Jersey (Board of Chil- assistance agencies. High rates o’f cies have been classified in two ma- dren’s Guardians), North Dakota, Texas. turn-over create a serious situation,

1 A signifies old-age assistance; B, aid to the blind; C, aid to dependent children; 8s State-office employees. Local offrice staff rcportcd by the Division of Old-Age (7, general assistance, excluding all local office employees in Maine and some local Assistance in New Jersey and by the Department of welfare and Institutions in office employees in Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Nehrasks, and Wisconsin Virginia edminister aid to the blind under the supervision of the State Com- for whom no basis of estimate is available; 0, other welfare programs, excluding mission for the Blind. institutional csre. 4 Excludes employees who were separated but returned within period. Num- 2 As of last pay-roll period. ber of employees for B-month period represents average of numbers for December 2 State office represents central office sad regional or district supervisory offices: 1948 and June 1949. local officesrepresentofficesof county,city, or other local government units or branch 5 Not computed; base less than 50. offices of State agency directly administering public assistance. Employees of 6 See footnote 1 for limitations. agencies administering programs entirely through central offices--Delaware Old r Eacludes employees in workshop for the blind. Age Welfare Commission and Commission for the Blind, District of Columbia 8 Excludes local office employees working on general assistance. Division of Public Sssistance, and Massachusetts Division of the Blind-counted 8 Excludes 583 town and city welfare or service officers.

Bulletin, April 1950 878157-50-2 primarily because frequent reassign- for executive and social work person- Table 4.-Accession and separation ments of case load not only interrupt nel than for other employees. Dur- rates, -June 1949 1 the continuity of the relationship be- ing the first half of 1949, accessions Accessions Separations tween the agency and client but also to the executive and social work group SemiTn$$-period per 100 per 100 involve expenditure of staff time in were at the rate of 16.8 per 100 em- employees employees the induction and training of new ployees; for other employees, the rate I I staff. On the other hand, to the ex- was 22.2. Similarly the separation June 1943~~--.~~-..-~----~. 15.3 19.0 Decemberl943....------. 15.2 tent that separations from an agency rate for executive and social work em- June 1944.-.-- . ------_ 16. 4 ?A:: ....------I 16.5 I 17. 0 permit replacements with better- ployees was 10.6 per 100 employees June 194.-- . --__----I i4. 9 13.7 qualified personnel, turn-over in staff and for other employees, 16.6. The Decemberl945.-..--..---- 18. F 17.3 June l946--~-~.~--.-~~----. 20. 5 16.3 affords an opportunity to improve ad- following tabulation shows the distri- December 1946..-----~--.-’ 19. 3 17. 2 June 1947.---...-..-----~-~ Ii. 9 13.7 ministration. During the war years, bution of agencies by rate of turn- ....------17.9 16.7 over for each group of employees. June 1948.----.-...-----~-~ 16. 6 13.1 however, when experienced workers December 1948-m..------18. 1 15.2 left an agency it was often diilicult Juno 1949.--- . .._._ --_----_ 19.2 , 13.3 if not impossible to find replacements * Based on data for varying numbers of reporting of even equal competence. 1 Accessions ( Separations agencies in each 6-month period; excess of separations Since December 1945, separation - - CIVW accessions and of accessions over separations can- I- not be compared with net change shown in table 2, EXCU- E~t?CU- which includes estimates for agencies not reporting. rates generally have been lower and Rate per 100 tive employees, kz and , accession rates higher than during Januwy~hne otllrr Other social em- SOCid em- sional, temporary, and emergency em- the war (table 4). The rise in the work Ploy- work ploy- I em- ees em- ees ployees in public assistance agencies accession rate during the first half of ploy- Ploy- 1949 resulted from the relatively large ees oes is not available through this reporting __- increases in California and New York, I---- project. For the States reporting the Total num- data, the proportion tliat such em- since more than two-thirds of the ber of agen- other agencies reported a decline in cies I-._---- 51 51 51 51 ployees constituted of all employees was highest in 1947 and has since de- accession rates. More than four- Rate: Less than 10. _ 2 33 clined regularly. Incomplete data in- fifths of the agencies also had lower 10-19~~~...~~~.. E- T: 16 separation rates for this period than 20-29 .------___. 5 dicate that during the first half of 3s39 ______---- 6 ," for the preceding 6 months. In 11 40-49 -______-_ A 1 0 1949 such employees made up less agencies, separations comprised more - - than 15 percent of the total for all than a sixth of total staff during the 1 Excludes 8 agencies with less than 50 employees. agencies. first half of 1949; eight of these agen- cies, however, had no net loss in staff Provisional, temporary, and emer- Vacancies gency employees comprised a large since accessions more than compen- proportion-almost 60 percent-of The fact that agencies are having sated for staff losses. Data by agency less difficulty now than during the war on accession and separation rates are the staff hired during the first half of 1949.6 The range in this proportion years in recruiting staff is reflected in shown in table 1 and on accession the lower vacancy rates that have rates, in chart 2. was from about a fourth in three agencies to upwards of three-fourths been reported since the first half of Turn-over rates generally are lower in five agencies. Frequently appoint- 1947 (table 5) and in the relatively ments are made on a provisional, tem- small increase in the number of Table 3.-Employees, by type of vacancies despite a large increase in position, June 1949 porary, or emergency basis because civil-service lists are exhausted or be- the number of positions. Thus, from cause persons on the registers are not June 1947 to June 1949, the number interested in the jobs offered. Dur- ing the war, many States carried on Table 5 .--Vacancy rates per 100 posi- tions, by type of position, December continuous recruitment programs but 1942-June 1949 did not give examinations on a regu-

Total____-_ 106,30”1 100 49,000 100 larly planned basis because there were E xecu- __- -~- tivrs Other Executives and too few candidates for jobs. Complete All po- sitions and em- social information on the number of provi- social ployees workers. __ 31,500 28 29,mo 60 workers Directors..-- 2,200 6 1,700 3 Director- 6For purposes of this reporting project, workers _ _ _ 1,700 December 1942..--_ 7. 6 8. 1 6. 8 Cast workers 23,100 a provisional employee is one who meets June 1943 ...... 6. 8 7. 8 5. 4 Supervisors-- 2,600 minimum qualifications and who is ap- Decemberl943..... 6. 7 7. 9 6.2 Field repre- pointed on a noncompetitive basis for a 7. 1 8.5 5. 2 sentativcs. 700 k;l%&f~;;c;;I 8.4 9. 9 6. 5 All other so- limited period pending the establishment 7. 5 8.9 5. 6 cial aork- of a register: a temporary employee is ap- December 1945-. ._ 7. 8 9. 1 6. 2 ers ____.-.__ 1,200 6 pointed under the merit system to a June 1946. _...... 7. 2 8.3 5. 7 December 1946-v... 8.3 9. 9 6. 2 position that is expected to last 6 months June 1947 ___..._.. -- 6. 2 7. 2 5. 0 or less; an emergency employee is ap- December 1947.-.-. 6. 2 7. 1 4. 9 pointed, without regard to the establish- June 1948 ._...... -- 5. 8 6. 8 4. 6 December 1948..... 5.5 6. 5 4.3 ment of a register, to meet, an emergency June 1949 _____.... -- 5. 8 6. 2 5. 4 and for a limited period. I I I

Social Security Chart 2.-Accession rates, January-June 1949, and vacancy rates, June 1949

1 59 agencies in 51 States. Total includes Alaska, all agencies in Delaware, the 6 Division of Aid for the Aged. Massachusetts Division of the Blind, Nevada, and the New Jersey and Vlrgtiia 7 Board of Child Welfare. Commissions for the Blind, which are omitted from body of chart because base 8 Department of Public Welfare. for each is less than 59. 0 Comlnission for the Blind. 1 Division of Social Administration. 10 59 agencies in 51 States. No vacancies in Alaska, the Delayare Commission 3 Department of Welfare and Institutions. for the Blind. New Hampshire, the New Jersey and North Carolma CO~~ISSIOIIS 4 Board of Public Welfare. for the Blind, and Vermont. J Division of Old-Age Assistance. of vacancies rose by only 300, from an 2. In general, a relatively high va- all other positions, though for recent estimated 3,200 in the earlier month cancy rate indicates that an agency periods the difference between the two to 3,500 in June 1949. Over the same has a staffing problem. A low rate, rates has narrowed somewhat. It is, a-year period, the total number of however, does not always mean that of course, more difficult and takes a positions increased from an estimated optimum staffing, insofar as numbers longer time to recruit for executive 51,600 in June 1947 to 59,800 in June are concerned, has been achieved. and social work positions than for 1949, or by about 8,000. Thus in one agency the vacancy rate other positions. More than two-thirds of the agen- was less than 1 per 100 Positions in cies reported fewer vacancies in June December 1948 and June 1949. This Case Loads per Visitor 1949 than in the preceding December. agency, faced with a serious cut in its The total number of vacancies for all administrative appropriation in the A question of continuing concern to agencies combined, however, in- first half of 1949, was obliged to lay public assistance administrators in creased by about 100 between the 2 off staff and to reduce the number their efforts to attain efficient opera- months-principally because of the of budgeted positions. As a result, tion of their programs relates to the rise in the number of vacant positions though the vacancy rate remained number of cases that should be as- in California and New York, which low, the number of cases per visitor signed to a visitor. Attempts to pro- together accounted for more than increased from about 200 in Decem- vide an answer to this question have two-fifths of all vacancies in June ber to 250 in June. not been too successful in terms of 1949. As shown in table 5, vacancy rates supplying a standard against which Vacancy rates for June 1949 are in executive and social work positions each agency can measure its own shown by agency in table 1 and chart are consistently higher than those for practice. They have, however, brought

Bulletin, April 1950 11 to light the many factors that must ministered. In the three agencies Number of cases per visitor,* be considered in determining the size with average case loads per visitor of June 1949 of visitors’ work loads. Among the 300 or more, old-age assistance cases more important are the standards of comprise from 75 to 90 percent of the Aid to ; Agency Old- nen- total load. Among the four agencies pf$- Aid to work performance that an agency ex- age the era1 as- at the other extreme-those in which assist- ent blind sist- pects to maintain, the quality of staff, ance chil- ante and the amount and kind of clerical the average case load is less than dren services available to handle routine loo-are two that do not administer ~__ 51s 506 tasks. In addition, the number and old-age assistance and two in which 2?3 1nu types of eligibility factors that must old-age assistance cases comprise less 100 44 be explored to determine eligibility than half the total case load. 1 Equivalent full-time visitor if she mere working for assistance, the frequency with on 1 program only. Number of assistance Number of which determinations of continued cases per visit01 agemies eligibility must be made, and the vol- Total------__---______* 52 answer to the question of how many ume of applications in relation to cases Less than 100 ______--_-_---__-_-- 4 cases a visitor can or should carry, receiving assistance have an impor- 100-149------~--~-----~----- 11 they show how many cases, on the tant bearing on the number of cases 150-199______--_____-______13 average, visitors do carry. As such, a visitor can carry. In the last analy- 200-249______------_-______13 the data afford a point of departure sis, however, the weight that an in- 250-299-~~-----~--~~-~~~-~-~~---~ 8 300 or more-____------_-__------3 for further exploration of the factors dividual administrator can give to underlying these wide differences these factors, either singly or collec- 1 Data for 3 agencies (Commissions for among agencies and their significance tively, is determined by the amount the Blind in New Jersey, North Carolina, in terms of efficient administration. of money available to the agency for and Virginia) combined with those for another agency. Not computed for Dela- administration. ware Board of Public Welfare and Dela- The data on the number of cases Table 6.-State public assistance ware Commission for Blind because num- agencies, by number of cases per per visitor are estimated and thus are ber of cases is less than 1,000 or for visitor,1 June 1949 subject to some margin of error. Most Alaska and Massachusetts Departments workers in most agencies carry case of Public Welfare because of the rela- tively large number of part-time em- Number of State agencies 1 loads comprising different types of as- ployees. sistance cases; usually the amount of Number of cases Old- Aid to time required to handle an old-age To eliminate the effect of program per visitor age depend- .4id General ZIS- ent to the assist- assistance case is less than that for differences, therefore, average case sist- chil- blind ante ance dre” cases of aid to dependent children or loads have been estimated by pro- ~~~ general assistance. As a result, other gram. The estimates of case load things being equal, average case loads Per visitor by program show, on the per visitor are likely to be higher in average, how many cases of a given Cases: agencies that have a relatively large type a full-time visitor would carry Less than loo.--- o Ifi 11 1oo-149--.---~---. 18 ~ i proportion of old-age assistance cases if she worked on one program only. 15+199--.--_.--.. IT 9’ : in their total case loads. In the tabu- The wide range in the average case 200-249--.--~.-~~. 1: fi ; 2 lation shown below, agencies have load per visitor, both by agency and 300250-299..-..--._-- and over----- 10 0 i : / ! been classified by the average number by program, is shown in table 6 and in I I 1 Equivalent full-time visitor if she were working of assistance cases per visitor without the following tabulation. on one program only. regard to the types of programs ad- 2 Excludes agencies in which total case load for While these data do not supply the specified program was less than 1,WO.

reau of Old-Age and Survivors Insur- Notes and Brief Reports ance, in the course of a survey of 442 primary beneficiaries in the Why Insured Older the Bureau of Old-Age and Survivors metropolitan area late in 1946, inter- Workers Have Quarters Insurance, but the wage records do viewed 250 primary beneficiaries with not show why these persons had no no wage credits in some of their divi- Without Wage Credits work in covered jobs in some quarters. sor quarters.’ The 442 beneficiaries The average monthly wages, and The reasons-unemployment and lay- in the survey formed a as-percent therefore the monthly insurance ben- offs, disability, work in noncovered sample of all persons in the Boston efits, of many beneficiaries under old- employment, retirement before enti- age and survivors insurance are low tlement-are important, however, in 1 For the primary beneficiaries studied, because in the years before they be- an appraisal of the probable effective- the divisor quarters included all calendar came entitled to benefits they received ness of various plans for raising aver- quarters after 1936 and before the worker no wage credits in some calendar age monthly wages and benefits under became entitled, excluding, for workers who attained age 65 before 1939, any quar- quarters. This fact is shown by the the insurance program. ter after that in which age 65 was at- wage records regularly maintained by To obtain this information the Bu- tained.

12 Social Security