Papers rustled in the packed auditorium on the UW-Madison campus. The 48-year-old Cross Plains man and other test takers worked on a civil service exam that could move them a step closer to being state of Wisconsin employees.

Cunningham, who recently lost a manager's job in the printing industry, saw a lot to like about the state position he had picked out - a reasonable salary and good benefits, fulfilling work and stability he didn't find in the private sector.

"It seems like once you've become a state employee you can pretty much stay on," Cunningham said. "I thought it would be a great chance to make a switch."

But Cunningham, who wanted a $16-an-hour job determining people's eligibility for disability benefits, failed to score an interview. It's perhaps not surprising.

Outside of university faculty and UW Hospital workers, the state hired 2,512 rank-and-file employees in 2005. That's down nearly 46 percent from a 10-year peak of 4,615 in 2001.

The exams also have been scaled back, with the number of applicants tested falling from 28,754 in 1995 to 10,424 in 2005.

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