Public Sector Remains in COVID Slump.

As private sector employment has begun rebounding over the last year, job growth in state and local government has remained low, even stagnant, in most states and localities. The main reason is the pandemic, as not all services provided by state and local workers have returned to prepandemic levels. Many museums, zoos, parks and other recreational sites, for example, are still operating on reduced schedules.

What's more, some state and local employers that laid off workers because of budget pressures have yet to call them back, or they require workers to furlough a few days a year. As in other...