Swell to Over 30,000
City Provisionals Increase by 461

By REUVEN BLAU

The number of provisional workers on the municipal payroll increased by 461, to 30,339, during the period that ended May 31, the Department of Citywide Administrative Services said earlier this month.

The increase marks the second consecutive hike within a six-month period after provisionals were reduced by more than 400 during the previous year.

More 'Off the Street'

According to DCAS, "pure" provisionals, meaning those with no permanent city job, increased by 525, to 19,538. The number of "step-up" provisionals with permanent status in a lower title decreased by 64, to 10,362, DCAS indicated in its quarterly report to Mayor Bloomberg.

The report said that increases occurred primarily in four titles: Child Protective Specialist, Computer Aide, Principal Administrative Associate, and Job Opportunity Specialist. The increases occurred as a result of hiring needs in various agencies, DCAS said.

The city continues to work to decrease the number of provisional appointees while minimizing the operational impact, the report said. DCAS recently administered 28 exams for provisional-laden titles. Those titles include: Traffic Enforcement Agent, Associate Management Auditor, Computer Aide, and Procurement Analyst.

In addition, filing was open for 15 exams for titles including Child Protective Specialist and Associate Contract Specialist.

Clericals Still Top List

The largest single category of provisionals consists of workers in clerical titles, reflecting high turnover in such jobs. The City Charter requires DCAS to report quarterly to the Mayor and other officials on the number of provisionally appointed employees, the length of their provisional service, and the steps being taken to reduce their numbers.

The titles with the most provisionals are: Administrative Staff Analyst, 1,385; Principal Administrative Associate, 1,307; Associate Staff Analyst, 1,111; and Clerical Associate, 976.

City agencies are allowed to hire or promote workers provisionally when they face an immediate need and a list is not available. Provisionals are supposed to be made permanent Competitive-Class employees or be replaced within nine months by candidates drawn from lists, but this rule is often ignored.