We built an interactive tool using the auditor’s own data. Here’s what it shows — and why we think the solution is higher pay, not fewer positions.

State Auditor Dave Boliek released a major report in January 2026 documenting more than 8,800 long-term vacancies across North Carolina state government. The report has since become a focal point in a debate at the General Assembly over whether to permanently eliminate those empty positions. SEANC believes the data tells a different story than the one being used to justify cuts — and we’ve built a tool to show you exactly what it says.

The dashboard, available at jobsdata.seanc.org, is SEANC’s own analysis and presentation of the auditor’s publicly available findings. We did not produce the underlying data — the State Auditor’s office did. But we organized it, compared it to national salary benchmarks, and added the context we believe is essential for state employees and the public to understand what’s actually driving those vacancies.

The short answer: it’s the pay.

What the Auditor Found

The auditor’s January 2026 report — which SEANC’s dashboard draws on directly — examined vacancy data across 46 state agencies. Its findings line up closely with what SEANC has argued for years.

• Low compensation is the leading cause of vacancies, accounting for 34% of all long-term empty positions — nearly 3,000 jobs. That’s the auditor’s own finding, not ours.

• The auditor’s own recommendation is that “North Carolina salaries should be competitive with those offered to similar positions in surrounding states” and that the state should “appropriate additional funds to address the pay disparity.” SEANC agrees completely.

• The $1.04 billion in “lapsed salary” highlighted in the report is not simply available for savings. The auditor’s report acknowledges that agencies are already using those funds for overtime, temporary workers, and operational costs the legislature has not fully appropriated.

• After the DAVE Act passed in August 2025, agencies filled 1,181 long-term vacancies in just eight weeks. The Department of Natural and Cultural Resources filled 56% of its vacancies in that window. The problem is solvable — with the right conditions.

The Pay Gaps Are Severe

Our dashboard includes a salary comparison section that puts the auditor’s vacancy data in context. Here’s what the numbers show for some of the hardest-hit positions:

• Correctional officers start at $37,621 in North Carolina — the third-lowest starting salary in the country. Neighboring states average $44,920 to start. The national average is $62,760. The result: a 35% vacancy rate in the Department of Adult Correction, with more than 2,800 positions empty.

• Registered nurses at DHHS earn an average of $71,478 — $22,000 below the national average of $93,600. The vacancy rate for RN positions at DHHS is 55%. More than half of all state psychiatric hospital and care facility nursing slots are empty.

• Licensed practical nurses at DHHS are paid $14,000 below the national average, with a 48% vacancy rate.

• The State Highway Patrol ranks 49th out of 50 states in trooper starting salary. The patrol’s commander confirmed this directly to the auditor.

These salary figures come from the auditor’s January 2026 report and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey (May 2024).

Nearly 3,000 More Positions Are Frozen — By Law

There’s an important piece of context that SEANC believes has been missing from the public debate. Under G.S. 143C-5-4, state agencies are legally prohibited from filling positions that weren’t authorized in the last enacted budget when the state is operating without a passed budget. For an extended period, close to 3,000 positions have sat empty for exactly this reason — not because the work isn’t needed, but because the General Assembly had not passed a budget.

Those frozen positions are included in the auditor’s vacancy totals. SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins raised this point directly with Governor Josh Stein, House Speaker Destin Hall, and Senate President Pro Tempore Phil Berger in a letter on the day the auditor’s report was released. We believe it’s essential context for anyone reading the vacancy numbers.

What the Proposed Cuts Would Actually Save

The auditor laid out several scenarios for eliminating vacant positions. His own preferred approach — cutting positions vacant three or more years while protecting nurses, correctional officers, and the Highway Patrol — saves an estimated $11.2 million in state appropriations.

North Carolina’s state budget is $30.8 billion. SEANC respects the care behind that recommendation, and agrees that protecting the most critical positions is the right instinct. But $11.2 million against a $30.8 billion budget demonstrates that position consolidation alone cannot substitute for genuine workforce investment. The state needs to do both: make thoughtful decisions about truly dormant positions, and appropriate the funds to make state jobs competitive.

Building Public Capacity Supports Growth

North Carolina has added less than 1% to its state workforce since 2009 — while adding two million residents over the same period. If the long-vacant positions in state government were permanently eliminated, NC would have more than 1,000 fewer state employees than it did in 2009.

Our neighboring states tell a different story. Virginia and Georgia have both grown their state workforces significantly more than North Carolina has. Both states exceed North Carolina in gross state product per capita by substantial margins. The data is clear: building public capacity does not hinder economic growth. It supports it.

Ardis Watkins: ‘The Fix Is Competitive Pay’

“State Auditor Boliek’s report is one of the most thorough examinations of state government staffing in years, and SEANC welcomes the scrutiny,” said SEANC Executive Director Ardis Watkins. “What the data shows aligns closely with what we have long argued: North Carolina’s vacancy problem is a pay problem. The auditor himself recommends that the state bring salaries in line with neighboring states and appropriate additional funds where vacancy rates are high. That is exactly what we have been asking for. The question now is whether the General Assembly will act on what the data shows.”

Explore the Dashboard

The SEANC vacancy data dashboard is available to everyone at jobsdata.seanc.org. It includes five sections:

• Overview — top-line numbers and key context

• By Agency — vacancy data for every major state agency

• Pay Gaps — NC agency salaries compared to state and national averages

• Why Positions Are Vacant — a breakdown of the reasons agencies reported to the auditor

• SEANC’s Analysis — 10 key points grounded in the auditor’s data and SEANC’s advocacy experience

If you have questions about the dashboard or SEANC’s analysis, contact us at jowens@seanc.org or call 1-800-222-2758.