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"It's part of her effort to keep everybody engaged," spokesman David Kochman said Friday. "Everything that the state needs to do from educating our kids, to improving the way we build roads, to working on public health issues, it all depends on state employees and teachers."

Perdue asks for moneysaving suggestions that can be posted to a web site or phoned into her office in the videos distributed Wednesday. She also praises the government workers for their efforts despite tough times.

The videos are also posted on a channel that Perdue established this spring on the YouTube video sharing web site. This week's videos were the first specifically targeting state employees, Kochman said.

"It's my pleasure to communicate directly with you," Perdue said at the start of each video, all running just under four minutes.

The videos also allow Perdue to explain she tried to limit the impact on public employees of the downsized state budget she signed into law two weeks ago.

About 700 state workers are to be laid off and hundreds of teaching jobs are in question as local school boards cope with reduced state allocations. But Perdue said she offset more serious cuts in employment and programs while advocating against across-the-board tax increases. Perdue supported raising revenues by more than the nearly $1 billion in higher sales, income and other taxes the General Assembly approved.

"Although some employee positions are being eliminated, I know and you know that things could have been far worse without all of our efforts," Perdue said in the video state agency personnel officers were asked to e-mail to workers. "Every day, every single day, I'm thankful for what state employees do for this great state, for your commitment for doing more when there are less resources."