As Josh explains at his new home, Bloomberg View’s The Ticker, one of the main reasons public sector employment levels have been declining at the state and local level is that in many jurisdictions the costs for a full-time equivalent employee have dramatically increased. Reducing these costs is an obvious way to reduce the fiscal pressure for reducing headcount, which is why a number of mayors and governors across the country have sought concessions on pension and health benefits while others have pursued more ambitious collective bargaining reforms.