State agencies in New York saw their overtime costs rise by 47.2% in 2022, accounting for $1.36 billion and setting a new record, according to a report released Thursday by Comptroller Tom DiNapoli. 

Overtime costs surged in large part due to a reduction in the state workforce overall, leading to longer hours on the job for state workers, DiNapoli said. 

"The workforce is the backbone of state government and many of the employees working overtime ensure that essential services are provided," DiNapoli said. "People leaving state jobs drastically outpaced hiring in 2020 and 2021, and the sharp decline in the size of the workforce spurred longer hours on the job for many. However, overtime is not a long-term substitute for proper staffing levels. State agencies should ensure that overtime use is justified and that employees are not pushed to the point of burning out."

Costs from overtime are also taking up a bigger slice of the payroll pie, accounting for 7.5% of the total payroll in 2022, an increased from an average of 4.6% between 2013 and 2021. 

The Office for People With Developmental Disabilities, the Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Office of Mental Health accounted for more than two-thirds of the overall costs in overtime. Those agencies make up 24% of the state's workforce, but comprised 67.5% of overtime hours.

Overtime is also increasing significantly at the City University of New York and at the Office of Children and Family Service, which saw 67% and 40% increases respectively. 

Still, less than 20% of state agency workers have notched overtime hours, while a half dozen agencies had more than a quarter of their workforce receive overtime last year, the report found.