Hiring

Lawmakers look to ease educational requirements for federal cyber workforce

New legislation from Reps. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., and Shontel Brown, D-Ohio, attempts to expand the U.S. government’s pool of cyber talent by promoting skills-based hiring.

Special Report

Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill funds an unprecedented surge in federal law enforcement. Is it even possible?

Administration officials express confidence they can transform federal agencies with record-level hiring, even as they remain realistic about the challenge ahead of them.

Trump administration cuts age limits for ICE agent recruits

The Homeland Security Department is using a recent funding infusion to hire more Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with the goal of deporting more migrants.

The Forest Service claims it’s fully staffed for a worsening fire season. Data shows thousands of unfilled jobs

DOGE cuts and voluntary resignations have severely hampered the agency as the nation enters the peak of fire season, with more than 1 million acres burning across 10 Western states.

Census has long struggled with staffing shortages. Employees say Trump is making it worse

Voluntary separation incentives and the government hiring freeze have left remaining staff on the hook with more work.

The U.S. DOGE Service is still hiring

The hires are intended to fill what used to be the U.S. Digital Service after many employees there left or were laid off.

Trump's pick to lead NOAA pledges to restaff weather service

Nominee says he would work to undo the workforce cuts from the last few months, though the process could take time.

Trump extends hiring freeze for 3 more months

Most agencies will now face a moratorium on hiring at least through mid-October after Trump issues his third freeze order.

OPM deemphasizes ‘favorite EO’ essay following legal challenge

A quietly circulated memo from the federal government's HR agency warns hiring managers against using the essay responses as a "ideological litmus test" for job applicants.

Indeed: Job applications from feds level out after initial surge, but risks persist

The job search website also reported that major federal contractors are posting fewer openings, hurting opportunities for former civil servants looking for new work.

Who should the government trust? Now’s your chance to weigh in

COMMENTARY | A new OPM rule would give agencies more power to remove employees deemed untrustworthy—part of a bigger shift toward a single, risk-based vetting system.

National Parks scramble to fill top leadership positions, but fix could create more vacancies

The agency is also struggling to recruit staff for front-line positions as the parks hit their busiest season.

OPM’s new performance management rules are (mostly) spot on

COMMENTARY | OPM’s new performance management rules aim to end inflated ratings and eliminate pass-fail systems—but do they go too far in prescribing a one-size-fits-all approach?

The Trump hiring plan wants to fix federal jobs, but it might just make things worse

COMMENTARY | The administration’s new approach promises faster, fairer hiring. But with old-school rules and political essay tests, it could actually make the process harder for everyone. There is another, better way.

Employee groups challenge ‘favorite EO’ question as agencies begin rollout

Experts warn that the Trump administration’s new essay questionnaire for most federal job applicants amount to a litmus test to politicize agency hiring.

Trump’s push for executive order loyalty risks undermining the federal workforce and the Constitution

COMMENTARY | Federal workers are being asked to prove their loyalty to Trump’s agenda, but history shows that when politics overtakes merit, government performance suffers.

Trump’s new civil service hiring plan: Merit or Meritless?

COMMENTARY | OPM's new Merit Hiring Plan isn't based on a new principle, but its enactment could make Schedule F look quaint, says the former vice chairman of the Merit Systems Protection Board.