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New data from the 2024 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) were released this month, along with practical tools and recommendations to act on the data.Â
Conducted by the de Beaumont Foundation and the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO), PH WINS is the only individual-level survey focused on the workplace experience and needs of the state and local government public health workforce. PH WINS provides critical insights into what it’s like to be a public health employee, helping leaders and decisionmakers identify trends, challenges, and needs among today’s workforce. Â
The 2024 data, from a survey of nearly 57,000 state and local public health employees at all levels, were released today along with interactive dashboards that allow users to filter and compare both agency-specific and national-level data by a variety of factors.
Key Findings Â
- Educational Attainment: 22% of state and local public health workers have a degree (associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate) in public health.Â
- Age and Tenure: The state and local government public health workforce is younger than ever. One-quarter (25%) are age 35 and under, more than half (54%) have been at their current agency for five years or less, and 41% have been working in public health for five years or less.Â
- Staying and Leaving: More people want to stay at their agencies than in previous years, with three-quarters (75%) reporting an intention to stay in the next year. Among those planning to leave, more than a quarter (27%) plan to stay in government public health.Â
- Burnout: A majority of state and local government public health workers (71%) are experiencing at least one symptom of burnout, with one in five (20%) experiencing near-constant symptoms.Â
- Training Needs: The top three training needs among state and local government public health employees are budget and financial management (51%), policy engagement (40%), and systems and strategic thinking (34%). Regardless of their current proficiency, skills related to policy engagement are among the top five areas where employees want more training.Â
- Community Engagement: While most employees agree that their agency is committed to infusing the community into work and actively collaborating with external organizations, fewer agree or strongly agree that their agencies regularly involve community members (75%) or prioritize their input (74%).
Using PH WINS Data to Drive Change Â
PH WINS is more than a survey—it’s an actionable tool for public health employees and departments. Use this data to: Â
- Inform your strategic and workforce development plans, including Public Health Accreditation Board documentation Â
- Tailor training to match the skill gaps your workforce reports Â
- Benchmark your department’s workforce stats against national data Â
- Improve morale and retention by acting on employee engagement metrics Â
- Guide succession planning and build a culture of continuous quality improvement Â
- Share the data with decisionmakers to advocate for investment in needed areas
New: Insights to Action Tools  Â
The dashboard is complemented by Insights to Action, a suite of over 40 practical resources to help health departments turn data into effective workforce solutions, including how-to guides, templates, checklists, and case studies. Topics include recruitment, supervision, workplace culture, flexibility, and career development. These tools are embedded into the new PH WINS dashboards, allowing health departments to view, interpret, and act on their data.
