State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli announced on Apr. 9 that New York State agency overtime costs increased by 22.7% in 2025, reaching a total of $1.6 billion. The number of overtime hours also rose by 5.9%, or about 1.4 million hours, compared to the previous year.
The report highlights ongoing challenges for state agencies as they work to balance workforce needs and service delivery expectations for New Yorkers.
DiNapoli said, “The use of overtime by state agencies continued to climb with overtime as a share of payroll at its second highest rate since at least 2007.” He added, “Agencies need to ensure usage is justified while continuing to safely and effectively provide the services New Yorkers expect and deserve.”
According to the annual report, the size of the state workforce—excluding employees from the State University of New York (SUNY) and City University of New York (CUNY)—grew for a third consecutive year in 2025, increasing by 2.7% or over four thousand positions from the previous year.
The Department of Corrections and Community Supervision saw significant increases in both overtime hours and earnings during this period: an additional 1.3 million hours worked and $264 million more spent on overtime than before, which was higher than any other agency reported in the study period. Since 2020, Corrections experienced a nearly thirty percent reduction in its workforce but saw average annual overtime per employee almost triple between then and now—reaching an average of over four hundred hours per worker last year.
These figures were influenced by a strike among some Corrections employees that occurred between Feb. 17 and March 10 in early spring last year.
As agencies continue facing staffing changes alongside rising demand for services, officials are reviewing how best to manage labor costs while maintaining effective operations.
