Facility management and maintenance departments have long struggled to recruit employees into the industry. Pressure has only built up since the “Great Resignation” that followed the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, on top of a lack of candidates, there are numerous open positions to fill. Meanwhile, labor costs continue to grow while budgets remain stagnant.

In this competitive labor market, coupled with rising wages and implementation of automated equipment, managers are re-evaluating staff sizes to help stretch the labor dollars they have. To provide these managers with a data benchmark, fnPrime surveyed more than 500 facility departments to determine average staff sizes for maintenance, janitorial, grounds and security positions.

According to the results, the majority of facility departments are keeping staff sizes the same for at least the next 12 months. That makes comparing current staff sizes with others even more valuable. Perhaps these managers are mistakenly not adding positions when additional help would be warranted.

The “Facility Staffing Report” breaks down average staff sizes by full-time equivalents. Since some positions could be part time, results are given in full or half numbers. Data is broken out by seven facility types: Colleges and Universities; K-12 Schools; Corporate Offices; Multi-tenant Leased Facilities; Government Buildings; Healthcare Facilities; and Industrial Buildings. Results are further broken down by square footage and annual budgets. Some services are primarily outsourced and these instances are indicated.