Members of the House of Representatives continue to struggle with staff turnover even after efforts to increase pay and approving a measure that allowed staffers to form unions last year.

According to LegiStorm, which tracks congressional staff rosters and salaries, 2022 had the second worst turnover rate since at least 2001, which is when the website started tracking this data.

HOUSE OFFICE VOTES TO UNIONIZE IN CONGRESSIONAL FIRST

Retention improved by about 8% in 2022 from 2021, which was the House’s worst in decades. In 2021, 55% more House staff members left their jobs than in the preceding year amid the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol and the coronavirus pandemic.

Lawmakers and staff attempted to take action. Last year, the House passed a resolution allowing workers to unionize. In September, former Rep. Andy Levin (D-MI) ratified the first contract under the Congressional Workers Union. The omnibus government spending bill that President Joe Biden signed into law in March 2022 included a 21% funding increase for congressional offices to help raise staff pay. The House also implemented a $45,000 salary floor in an effort to combat the mass exodus on the Hill.

The vote came after a viral Instagram account called “Dear White Staffers” made allegations of toxic workplace environments in congressional offices, including accusations of racial and gender-based discrimination.

The staff exodus affected Democrats more than Republicans, even though many Democratic offices supported the staffer unionization movement. Democrats lost staff at an 8% higher rate than Republicans, according to the data. Democrats made up seven of the top 10 member offices with the highest turnover rates. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC) had the worst staff retention, losing aides at 4.2 times the House’s average, according to the data.

Reps. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), and Dan Meuser (R-PA) rounded out the top five for worst retention rates in the House. In the upper chamber, the highest staff turnover rate appears to be split between Democrats and Republicans. Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Deb Fischer (R-NE), and Jeff Merkley (D-OR) had the worst retention rates.

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Highest Turnover in the House for 2022

1. Rep. Alma Adams (D-NC)
2. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN)
3. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
4. Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ)
5. Rep. Dan Meuser (R-PA)
6. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA)
7. Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX)
8. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK)
9. Rep. Pete Sessions (R-TX)
10. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL)

Highest Turnover in the Senate for 2022

1. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT)
2. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN)
3. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)
4. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) 
5. Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
6. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI)
7. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY)
8. Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-GA)
9. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV)
10. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO)