WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp, a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, today brought Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Katherine Archuleta to Minot Air Force Base to learn firsthand about challenges federal employees at Minot Air Force Base face, and called on her to help federal agencies address how the growth in the Bakken is pulling workers in North Dakota away from federal jobs.

During a panel discussion hosted by Heitkamp and Archuleta – who oversees federal workforce issues – at Minot Air Force Base, Archuleta heard directly from civilian employees at the base who for years have not received a substantial pay raise to keep pace with rapidly increasing housing costs in the Minot region. According to Apartment Guide, the average entry level rent in Minot is $1,237 per month.

As competition for employment for high-paying jobs and cost of living throughout the state are steadily increasing, the ability of the Air Force base to recruit and retain civilian employees is increasingly challenging, and many federal workers are leaving for more lucrative private sector jobs in the oil patch. As a result, it is taking longer amounts of time for officials at the Base to fill needed civilian positions. According to Job Service North Dakota, it took officials more than 200 days to recruit and fill some of the civilian jobs at the Base, including for engineers.

“Civilian employees play a crucial role in making sure our military bases can perform their national security missions,” Heitkamp said. “The energy development in western North Dakota has brought many rewards to our state, including a highly competitive job market and higher wages for private sector workers. But salaries for civilian workers, including at Minot Air Force Base, need to keep pace as too often we’re losing federal employees to more profitable jobs in the oil patch. The federal government needs to make sure federal workers in North Dakota who help keep our nation safe are treated and paid fairly for their hard work and that’s why I invited Director Archuleta here today. She understands that this type of unfortunate pay stagnation is unacceptable, and North Dakotans know they simply aren’t practical for everyday living in Minot. The Administration must take action by developing practical strategies which take into account North Dakota’s unique job market.”

Heitkamp invited Archuleta to see the situation on the ground in North Dakota after questioning her at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in May about how OPM can better assist federal agencies with recruitment and retention issues amid a very competitive job market and extremely high housing costs. Federal employee salaries have not kept pace with comparable private-sector wages, placing strain on the Minot Air Force Base civilian workforce.

Heitkamp will continue to tour the western part of the state with Archuleta, including visiting New Town for a roundtable discussion with the Bakken Federal Executive Group (BFEG) and other federal agency heads and hiring managers to find solutions to common challenges with the Bakken energy boom, which includes the recruitment and retention of federal workers.

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