(From Governing.com) Almost half of the states accomplished budget reductions in fiscal years 2011 or 2012 by laying off employees, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. And the Labor Department reports that local governments have shed nearly a half-million workers since 2008. The implications of this tactic--for organizational performance and strength of governments' human-capital pools over the medium- and long-term--merit consideration. But public agencies can weather the challenge with effectiveness intact and resilient workforces in place.

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