WAYNE COUNTY — With all types of business owners statewide struggling to find adequate staff, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office is no different.

Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy said that she is losing staff to other jobs and cannot compete with higher starting salaries elsewhere and has even asked retired assistant prosecutors to join her staff due to the “staggering” number of crimes in the Detroit area.

The Wayne County Circuit Court has more than 3,000 cases awaiting trial, and local courts have more than 10,000 cases pending, Worthy had said in an email to the retired assistant prosecutors.

“Everyone’s caseload is really inhumane,” the email read. “We have many positions that we cannot fill. And on top of all of this, crime has spiraled out of control and the numbers are staggering.”

Worthy’s office is looking for lawyers on a temporary basis.

In Macomb County, pay for entry-level assistant prosecutors is more than $60,000 and in Oakland County it starts around $65,000, which are both higher than in Wayne County.