The Human Resources Department for the Municipality of Anchorage has experienced a striking level of staff turnover over the past year, losing 18 employees since Mayor Suzanne LaFrance took office in July 2024.
At the time LaFrance assumed office, the department had 41 employees. As of July 2025, only 36 positions are filled, with multiple vacancies still open. With 18 people having left in the past year, it’s a 44% departure rate. 18 separations over a 12-month period with an average headcount of 36 represents a 50% annual turnover rate.
That’s more than three times the national average turnover rate for HR professionals, which was approximately 15%, according to a 2022 LinkedIn analysis, making Anchorage’s HR turnover exceptionally high.
While turnover in any government agency is not uncommon during a transition in leadership, the scale of departure in the HR department stands out and raises operational concerns, especially in a department responsible for hiring, employee relations, compliance, and benefits administration for the entire municipality, which operates government services for 40% of the Alaska population. The HR workers who departed have over 40 years of combined institutional memory and expertise.
Must Read Alaska obtained this information through a public records request and acknowledges that the HR Department was responsive to the request. If readers have information that would explain why this massive departure from the Human Resources Department has occurred, they may leave notes in the comment section.
