Vacant NC state jobs produced $1 billion in lapsed salaries, auditor's report says

Kyle Ingram, The News & Observer on Dec 30, 2025

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A newly created division charged with recommending job cuts in North Carolina agencies released a report Tuesday showing that the state has accumulated over $1 billion in lapsed salary dollars for roughly 8,800 long-term employee vacancies.

The Division of Accountability, Value and Efficiency (DAVE), published its findings in an interactive online dashboard, which tracks vacancies of six months or greater as of Aug. 6, 2025.

State lawmakers created DAVE earlier this year as a subdivision within the Office of the State Auditor, an agency they have repeatedly sought to elevate since Auditor Dave Boliek flipped the position to Republican control in the 2024 election.

“This new dashboard brings transparency to the dollars and cents behind vacancies in state government,” Boliek said in a statement released by his office. “The new division will continue to evaluate areas where government can provide the best return on taxpayer dollars.”

While state law tasks DAVE with assessing the “continued need for each state agency and vacant positions within each agency,” Tuesday’s report did not include any recommendations for job cuts.

However, the division plans to release a more comprehensive report on vacancies in January, says the auditor’s press release.

The State Employees Association of North Carolina, which has raised concerns about DAVE in the past, did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday.

What does DAVE’s report show?

Tuesday’s report shows that the state has generated $1.04 billion in lapsed salaries for vacant positions as of Aug. 6, 2025.

When state jobs are vacant, the agency still receives the budgeted funds for the position, which are known as “lapsed salaries.” Agencies are able to use these funds for other needs while the position is vacant, according to the auditor’s press release.

The Department of Health and Human Services had the most long-term vacancies of any agency, accounting for nearly 3,100 vacant positions and roughly $375 million in lapsed salaries.

At 2,800 vacancies, The Department of Adult Correction had the second-highest vacancy rate and accounted for nearly $229 million in lapsed salaries.

On average, positions were vacant for 825 days.

DAVE’s dashboard also includes data on individual agency vacancies, including reasons for the vacancy and the total lapsed salary generated for each position.

For example, a position as a psychiatrist at DHHS was vacated in 2020 and generated over $1.5 million in lapsed salary due to “unqualified applicants,” according to the dashboard.

NC’s version of DOGE?

Democrats largely objected to DAVE’s creation earlier this year, with some making comparisons to DOGE, the new U.S. agency formerly led by billionaire Elon Musk that oversaw sweeping cuts to federal jobs at the start of President Trump’s second term.

In an interview with The News & Observer earlier this year, Boliek noted that, unlike DOGE, DAVE has no powers to fire people or gut state agencies.

“Will that mean that there may be recommendations to cut programs and agencies? Yes, we’re not going to be afraid to make those recommendations,” he said. “It could (also) mean that we would recommend additional resources be put into certain aspects of government across the state.”

The legislation creating DAVE also came with a notable provision: it dissolves on the last day of Boliek’s term as auditor.