Data from the ICMA Job Center shows that job prospects continue to improve for top-level local government administrators. During the first eight months of 2015, the Job Center featured nearly 385 listings for professional local government manager positions, up 69 percent from the same period in 2010, the first full year after the 2008 Great Recession ended. Although hiring levels are not expected to return to pre-recession levels, the Job Center carried its largest number of management and management-track listings since the economic recovery began in June 2009:

Job titles represented include chief administrative officer; assistant chief administrative officer; city manager/administrator; assistant city manager/administrator; town manager/administrator; village administrator; deputy village manager; township manager; county manager; and deputy county manager.

ICMA’s 2012 Survey of the Profession revealed that among responding local government CAOs, 88.5 percent were age 41 or older, while roughly 11.4 percent were age 40 or younger.

This shift in demographics will also mean significant changes for local government workplaces, according to “Next Generation Professionals: An Inside Look at What Matters to Them,” an article published in ICMA’s August PM (Public Management) magazine. Good management, culture, and the quality of coworkers are more important than compensation and benefits to younger workers, and local government managers will need to look for ways to not only attract but also retain top performers.

The ICMA Job Center is the only online job board that focuses on local government management and management-track positions. It also carries listings for positions such as department heads, managers, and analysts that can lead to the top administrative job.