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According to Gov. Mike Parson’s administration, the state payroll had 48,441 workers as of May 15, up from about 42,000 workers in 2022.

Along with convincing lawmakers to boost wages by more than 20% during Parson’s tenure, the state also is paying workers to help recruit new employees.

Under a plan first reported by the Post-Dispatch in October, officials are now paying out $500 bonuses if a worker refers a candidate for hard-to-fill positions like prison guards, nurses and support staff at youth detention facilities and mental health hospitals.

Workers can earn a $250 bonus for referring friends and family to other eligible positions.

Chris Moreland, a spokesman for the Office of Administration, said 11 people have received payments through the program, which requires recruits to stay in their new job for at least 90 days.

Parson this year was successful in asking lawmakers to send him a spending plan for the fiscal year beginning July 1 that includes 3.2% raises for workers after convincing the House and Senate to provide 8% increases in 2023.

The governor is expected to sign the budget, including the $111 million in money for the raises, in late June.

Among is a $37,000 per year job as a benefits technician for the Missouri Department of Social Services, where employees assist people applying for public assistance.

Openings for cooks at a nursing home for veterans in Bellefontaine Neighbors pay about $18 per hour.

The Missouri Public Defender’s office also has a number of openings for attorneys and legal assistants.

The latest efforts to raise salaries are aimed at ensuring the continuity of state services during an inflationary period while attempting to stay competitive with the private sector, which also has seen wage gains.

Low worker pay has been blamed on service cuts at state mental facilities, fewer beds at nursing homes for veterans and long waiting times at state call centers.

During budget negotiations, Democrats argued the state could do more to spend down a budget surplus of more than $6 billion.

“We left out our vulnerable Missourians from our budget,� said Rep. Deb Lavender, D-Kirkwood.

The governor also is targeting vacancies and turnover at hard-to-staff prisons, youth detention facilities and mental health treatment centers.

Under that plan, workers in facilities that stay open around the clock to care for individuals will receive a 1% salary increase for every two years of continuous service capped at 10% for two decades of service.