Hiring
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.
Exclusive
Lynch: OPM’s hiring plan includes ‘blatant loyalty test’
The Trump administration last week unveiled its new ‘Merit Hiring Plan’ that in part quizzes job applicants about their favorite Trump policy or executive order.
OPM ‘merit’ hiring plan includes bipartisan reforms, politicized new test
The federal government’s HR agency on Thursday instructed agencies to cease collecting data on the demographic makeup of their workforces.
Exclusive
Federal employees removed by Trump would have easier pathway back to government service under Democratic bill
A pair of bills would seek to give hiring preference to axed feds and to standardize the length of probationary periods for government workers, as the administration has sought to fire those individuals who have less civil service job protections.
Selected federal hiring sprees included in House Republicans’ sweeping tax cut package
Several agencies across government would receive tens of billions of dollars to hire tens of thousands of employees.
Ex-feds launch websites to help unemployed civil servants find new jobs
Many federal employees are looking for positions outside of government following reductions in force and the Trump administration’s push for workers to take separation incentives.
Breaking News
White House extends federal hiring freeze until July for most
The Trump administration’s halt on federal civilian hiring, which was supposed to be lifted Monday, will be extended through July, per a memo released late Thursday.
